


Second Meeting

by Jessica314



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 56,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessica314/pseuds/Jessica314
Summary: Demetri's POV of the Twilight Saga, beginning with Edward's arrival in New Moon. Canon-friendly and in-canon with my Tale of Years series.
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**If you haven't read my 1926 story, here's all you need to know for this one: I had Aro find out about Edward's gift back in 1926, and he sent Demetri and Jane to offer him a position in the Guard. He declined, but that incident led to a growing sense of dissatisfaction, which led into the beginning of his rebellious period the next year.**

**And if you haven't read the Illustrated Guide, it's important to know that Demetri was created by Amun. Demetri didn't want to leave his creator, or join the Volturi at all; Aro used Chelsea to force his loyalty.**

**The truth is, I love Demetri-maybe it's his tragic back story, or his creepy gift, but I just love him. I can't even decide if he's good or evil here... I suppose we'll figure it out as we go along. This was going to be a little one-shot, but you know me...**

* * *

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga and its universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This story contains direct dialogue from New Moon.**

* * *

**March 19, 2006**

**Demetri POV**

I stormed down the corridor, approaching the door at the end all too soon. I spun around, my cloak swirling and snapping out like a flag behind me as I walked back the other direction. I was pacing at human speed, because I would just hit the end of the corridor faster otherwise.

It was one of those days. I loved my Master, but I hated times like this, when I was forced to spend weeks at a time in Volterra, the stone walls and the darkness closing in on me. I was meant to be active, searching, pursuing. My muscles trembled with energy, and my gift _ached_ with disuse.

I stopped pacing and leaned my head back against the damp, cold wall of the corridor, taking care not to lean back with my shoulders. God _forbid_ I should get moisture on my cloak, after all. I wanted to tear it off and burn it. Just once, would it be so bad to have my throat free of its leash?!

_Careful, Demetri._

I took a deep, quick breath in through my nose, exhaling slowly as I stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. My arms hung loose at my sides, my fingertips grazing the inner lining of the cloak. I could feel the inconsistencies in the fabric, the worn horizontal paths that my fingers had made over the past few weeks. I swung my fingers back and forth along the silk, beating in time with the pulsing burn in my throat. I closed my eyes, chiding myself for thinking about my thirst; it would only make it worse, and Heidi wasn't due back until tomorrow, around one o'clock. Thirteen miserable _hours_.

It wasn't like this when I was out in the field. You got thirsty, you hunted. I ran my tongue along my teeth, remembering the last time. It had been in Colombia, when we had gone to deal with yet another surge of violence between the Southern Covens. I was grateful to them, in a way, for their stubborn refusal to behave themselves, and grateful to my Master for his quiet orders that we were never to stomp out the Wars completely. He had his reasons, I suppose, reasons involving politics and world peace and those things that occupied his time. My own reasons were far more selfish; our frequent trips to Central America were the only thing that had kept me sane lately. There were other problems throughout the world that required my attention from time to time, but I could always depend on the Southern Covens to get me out of Volterra on a regular basis. When I wasn't able to use my gift for weeks at a time, I began getting antsy like this, claustrophobic. And it had been getting worse in the last couple of decades. I _needed_ to be searching, and I _needed_ to hunt like a real vampire sometimes.

I didn't know how the Coven could stand it. Caius was like me- always itching to go out on the next mission, to stretch his legs and use his teeth in the way they were meant to be used. He was so old, though, that his impatience usually took months to build, whereas mine took weeks. And Aro did get out every century or so. But Marcus, and the Wives! How did they stand it? I got out more than anyone else except Heidi, and _I_ could barely stand it! Having our blood brought to us at feeding time, like puppies in a pet store! Feeding on a damned schedule, and never _hunting_.

It was at times like this that I dared remember the man I had once called Father. Not that I had really been free then, either; Amun had kept me hidden most of the time. And the sands had been irritating to the senses, but at least they had been wide and open, when he let me out to hunt. At least I had been _free_ to hunt, not having to wait for the excuse of an expedition. The flames roared in my throat again at the memory, and my fingers pushed back through the silk and velvet, digging into the ancient stone with a crunching sound.

 _Stop_ , I scolded myself. _This is disloyal. You have a new Master now, a better one._ But my treacherous mind lingered in the past. Nine hundred years, and I still couldn't quite recall why I had left my creator. I wondered what he was up to these days. I wouldn't say that I had _loved_ him, per se, but-

"Redecorating?"

Chelsea appeared suddenly, Afton just stepping out from in front of her. I pulled away from the wall, my movement echoed by the sound of stone dust hitting the floor. I reached back again, smoothing away the holes I had just dug. "That's very annoying," I growled.

"Even I get bored sometimes, Demetri," she said, nodding for her mate to continue on. He sauntered down the corridor, looking back over the shoulder of his cloak with a disdainful smirk. I ground my teeth, wishing I could wipe that smirk off his arrogant face… or better yet, tear it off. But it wasn't permitted; the color of his mate's cloak forbade anyone from touching the useless piece of filth.

I turned back to Chelsea with an impatient sigh. "What are you about, besides playing hide and seek with your pet shield? I haven't seen you in weeks."

She cocked her head to the side, studying me. "Aro sent me to find you."

I stood taller, my woes forgotten. I turned to go, sweeping the castle with my gift in order to find him.

"He doesn't need you," she said flatly. "He sent me to see if you were all right. He thought you looked upset earlier, and here I find you dismantling the castle. Want to talk about it?"

"Not with you," I grunted. "Go away." I hated it when she did this; she couldn't possibly understand what it was like. My gift was different from everyone else's. No one else understood my need to be out, to be hunting, to be searching. And Chelsea, all snug with her idiotic mate, didn't understand the concept of loneliness. She couldn't.

"As you wish," she said politely. She stared at me for another moment in that piercing way that she had, and then she walked on.

"Always do," I muttered to her back. Chelsea's gift was one of the more nebulous ones; none of us in the Guard quite understood what it was she did, or why Aro was so ridiculously fond of her. She got anything she wanted, including that idiot Afton, who didn't even deserve to wear the cloak. She hadn't been so smug back when she had been sharing _my_ bed. Her name had been Colette at the time. But those days were long gone now, and Afton never passed up the chance to shoot me that triumphant smirk of his. You would think rubbing it in would get old after eight hundred years. Moronic _child_.

But it was true; I always felt better after these little talks. Or rather, after one of her _looks._ She hadn't graced me with that particular sort of attention since 1987. I rolled my shoulders, taking stock of myself. I was feeling better already. My theory was that Chelsea's gift was like Corin's, only that she gave a more productive form of contentment- something vague that helped us function as a team. Chelsea kept us calm… civilized, cohesive. I had thought about asking her whether my guess was correct, back when we were intimate for that first century of my wearing the cloak. Aro had been so pleased when Chelsea – when _Colette_ and I had been drawn to each other for a while. Encouraged it, even. But nosing around about each other's gifts was forbidden; Caius called it "getting above yourselves, inviting dissention and jealousy". Though if my theory was correct, it wasn't _that_ exciting of a gift, and I didn't see why she deserved the black cloak just for being a drug. And one of two, at that. After all that _I_ had done for Aro, my cloak should be at least two shades darker than it was...

My shoulders relaxed, and I chided myself for thinking ill of my Master's decisions. If he thought that this shade of gray was best for me, then it was. He was more of a father to me than Amun had ever been. I was lucky that he had rescued me from that bitter old man and his broken-down temple. I had known who I wanted to follow, after a moment's consideration, and I had left Amun without a second glance. Good riddance.

As my contentment grew in the wake of Chelsea's assistance, I relaxed further. My thirst cooled somewhat, and the walls that had been closing in on me a moment ago seemed a bit brighter. Yes, this was the better home. I still wanted to get out for a run soon, but I had been foolish to think that no one understood my claustrophobia. _Aro_ understood me. He knew my innermost heart, and he understood why I sometimes had these thoughts that were less than grateful. Perhaps if I gave him my hand today, he would be gracious and send me on some sort of mission. _Any_ mission.

My throat tightened when I realized what else he would see when he took my hand. He would see what I had just been thinking, before Chelsea had found me. He would hear my discontent, and he would be hurt. The thought caused me physical pain, and I scrambled my thoughts in a plea for forgiveness, knowing he would hear that later, as well. _I didn't mean it, Master, you know that. It was only a moment of weakness, brought on by the thirst. You know that my heart only finds happiness in serving you. Leaving Amun was the best decision I ever made. Forgive an errant son._

I blew out my breath, wondering if I should hurry and give him my hand now, to show my loyalty once again. Perhaps he would let my hand linger a moment, so I could silently reassure him of my admiration in person. I knew he loved these fawning thoughts, but he liked to keep them unspoken. It was one of the things I loved most about my Master; his humility was so inspiring, considering his power. He always had a kind word for his children, never harsh like Caius, never inattentive like Marcus. And as much as I ached to kneel in his presence sometimes, he usually forbade such displays, gentling reminding me that he saw me as a beloved son, not a subject. I served the Three loyally, as Aro liked, but he knew when my heart lay. At least he let me call him Master, though he insisted that I use the term for all Three.

I turned around, staring sadly down at the destruction I had caused. I stirred the loosened dust with the toe of my boot. I would have to arrange for Santiago to take care of it; he was our best mason. My guilt increased as I realized that Aro would see this, as well. Why had I been so discontented lately? I had one of most coveted roles in the Guard, and I lived in the greatest fortress our world had ever seen. Aro _loved_ this castle. How could I be so careless, to hurt him like this? I resolved to be more worthy of his affection, his approval in the future. My hand ached to touch his, to show him my allegiance… but that should wait until I got a new cloak. My fidgeting lately had damaged the silk underneath, and I wanted to present myself in top form.

I strode down the corridor again, but with my head held high this time, and with purpose quickening my steps. But as I swung the door open, I nearly walked right into Felix, who was just reaching for the doorknob from the other side.

"What's the rush?" I asked.

"We have a visitor. I'm headed up front to bring him in."

"Anyone we know?"

He snorted. "Well, _you've_ met him before. Edward Cullen."

My breath caught as my gift flared to life, seeking him. I found his presence immediately; he was already within the walls. Finally!

"I'll take this one," I said, spinning back to head to the front desk.

"But Aro said for _me_ to-"

"Shut up, Felix," I sighed, slamming the door in his face. I flew down the hall at top speed this time, eager to bring Edward before my Master. This would be just the thing to convince Aro of my loyalty today, new cloak or not. My failure had eaten at me for years, following my botched attempt at recruiting the mind reader. I didn't usually meet with such difficulty, though I had never attempted to recruit a gifted vampire before.

I had truly been surprised when young Edward had rejected my offer, though I suppose I should have expected some sort of foolishness from anyone created by Carlisle Cullen- what an eccentric. His extended visit three hundred years ago had been an endless source of amusement to those of us in the Guard. But it was a little unnerving to see him raising up a coven lately, all golden-eyed and playing human. Their eyes were just the outward manifestation of their many peculiarities. But to reject an offer to join the Guard, especially when his gift would clearly place him high in Aro's favor… utter madness. It appeared he had finally come to his senses, at least. I would present him to Aro myself, and we would have our new Guard by sunrise.

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**We'll meet Edward in the next chapter. Let me know what you think so far!**


	2. Plea

My mind perfectly under control, I slowed to a stately walk just before entering the lobby. Edward Cullen was waiting for me, seated like a human in one of the ornate chairs across from Gianna's desk. His shoulders were slumped in defeat, his clothes dirty and rumpled. His eyes were so black it was impossible to tell whether he had already discarded his pretense at humanity. Either way, they looked strangely haunted as he slowly looked up at me. This was not the fresh, idealistic youth I had first met in 1926. It seemed that his creator's unnatural lifestyle had not been kind to him; I had expected as much.

"Demetri," he said, sliding to his feet.

"Edward," I said politely, nodding to him. "It's been a long time."

"Eighty years," he murmured, walking past me into the ornate hallway which led back the way I had come.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, old friend," I assured him, my thoughts sparkling with amity. "Am I to assume you've reconsidered our offer?"

"If you like," he shrugged. "But I need to see your masters immediately."

I paused briefly, continuing my pursuit with slightly less confidence. What that a yes or a no?

"I don't understand."

"It's not necessary that you understand," he said tiredly. "Just take me. There isn't much time."

I slid the hidden panel away, and motioned with my hand for him to enter the stone corridor. He cocked his head, listening to something, and the slightest laugh rasped out of his throat.

"They're not in there," he said aloud, shaking his head in disbelief over something. "They're in the library."

I ground my teeth, feeling stupid. I hadn't even thought to ask Felix when Aro had told him to bring Edward. Maybe I should have let him do his job, after all. My plan to prove my renewed loyalty to my Master wasn't turning out as I had hoped.

"You're doing just fine. Come on."

I pushed open the golden doors, and led him into the library. The Three were seated around a large coffee table, perched in wooden chairs with their cloaks draped over the backs. Caius looked annoyed, as usual; he hated these sorts of charades. It was not standard procedure to interview hopefuls here in the library, but it had been done a few times before; a mark of favor. Edward shook his head slightly, walking right up to the Three without so much as an introduction.

Marcus's face was, as usual, disinterested as he glanced over Edward's haunted face. Edward returned his gaze curiously, but turned his attention to Aro after a moment.

I turned to look at my Master as well, and love flooded my heart. He was clearly overjoyed to see Edward, as I knew he would be. And so benevolent, and so trusting- why, Renata wasn't even here! I ached to go to him, to extend my hand, but I knew that in situations like this he preferred me to wait for his invitation. I turned to Edward and gave the cursory introductions, extending my hand toward each brother in the appropriate order. After I had done so, I turned back to Aro with a slight bow.

"My Masters, may I present Edward Cullen, creation of Carlisle Cullen. He seeks an audience without delay."

"Young Edward!" Aro cried, clasping his hands together in satisfaction. "It gives us the greatest pleasure to have you come here, after so _brief_ a time of deliberation. I have so longed for this day!"

"I know," Edward sighed. Caius huffed in disapproval, and I was taken aback as well. _Edward!_ _You are in the presence of the Three!_ _Has Carlisle taught you nothing of etiquette, or of respect?_

My hand twitched forward as the awkward silence extended. I should have given Aro my hand immediately, so that he would have seen that all was not as he hoped. Aro glanced from Edward's face down to my hand and nodded slightly. I eagerly moved forward, giving him my thoughts. He frowned at something, and I froze in worry; was he upset at my mental wandering earlier, or at my apparent failure with Edward? Perhaps I should have tried to divine his purpose more clearly before bringing him in here. Aro released my hand.

"You have done nothing wrong, my old friend," he said kindly, and my heart sang. I was forgiven! But his eyes were already back on the applicant; though, he was looking more and more like a supplicant.

Edward seemed to be attempting to rearrange himself into a respectful posture; he wasn't doing a very good job of it. The Americans rarely did. "Forgive me. My… gratitude… is overdue," he said through his teeth. "Your offer was generous, of course." He took a deep breath. "But I have not come today to accept it. I have come to request your assistance with a most important matter."

"Oh?" Caius said, finally looking interested. "What sort of matter?"

Edward's mask of respect slipped; apparently, five seconds of decorum was too much to ask. "Not that sort," he scoffed.

"A matter of the heart," Marcus said slowly, and Edward nodded, his eyes closing in… grief? Oh, for heaven's sake…

Edward spoke louder now, his eyes still closed. "I wish to be ended."

Aro stopped breathing, his courtly smile frozen on his face. "A… most unusual request, Edward Cullen. For one so young, and with so much to live for…"

"Please," Edward sighed. "I am in great pain. I have nothing at all to live for, not anymore. She-" His voiced hitched in his throat, and if it were possible, his face drained of the little color he had. "Please," he repeated urgently.

Aro leaned back in his chair, drawing the backs of his fingers across his lips as he studied our visitor; I knew that look. He was thirsty, but not for blood; for knowledge. All of us knew how eager he had been to meet this vampire, to hear a mind so like his own. And not only that; touching Edward's hand would give him a glimpse into literally thousands of other minds, perhaps millions. I only hoped Edward would give this gift willingly; his artificial diet had clearly weakened his mind, and he obviously had no clue how his refusal eighty years ago had hurt my Master. Even if he had suffered the ultimate loss, he was still being too dramatic.

Marcus was not so selfish. He set aside his own grief every day to serve the Coven, and the vampire world at large. If Edward hadn't been sired by such a perverse fool, and hadn't spent his short life chasing quadrupeds, maybe he would be better equipped to bear his grief like a man. I had thought I was bringing Aro one of the treasures he most desired; instead, I had brought him a blubbering child. I felt like a fool for bringing him in here! Maybe they would let _me_ end him.

Edward's eyes snapped open, and he nodded to me, looking grateful. He stepped closer, tilting his head back to expose his throat. He sighed peacefully, closing his eyes.

Pathetic. Did he really think I would do something that stupid? Execute one of the most powerful vampires in existence right in front of my Master without permission? "Stop that," I growled under my breath. _You're making a fool of yourself, and of me!_

Edward sighed in resignation, stepping back into place in front of the Three. He stared at Aro for a moment. "That isn't necessary," he said suddenly.

"Oh, but it is," Aro said, holding out his hand. "This is a most unusual circumstance, as I'm sure you can tell. We couldn't possibly agree to your request without knowing all the details. I can see that you are indeed in great pain, my friend; let me see if we can help you. It may be that we can bring ourselves to grant your request, or to offer you a new kind of peace, in this home that has been waiting for you. But first we must understand."

Edward stared down at Aro's waiting hand, his disgust plain on his face. I ground my teeth together, unable to believe his rudeness. But then he made what was perhaps the first intelligent decision of his life, and slowly inched his hand up to Aro's. Aro waited patiently, kindly; he would not grasp. Only his widening eyes betrayed his excitement. Edward finally laid his hand down, and they both closed their eyes as the transfer began to take place. I watched in wonder as Aro's eyes fluttered at an impossible speed behind his lids; the sight never ceased to amaze me. The transfer took far longer than usual, but I suppose that was to be expected, with all the extra data that Edward had been carrying around for the past century. All at once, Aro's eyes flew open in amazement, and a smile of pure sunshine spread across his face.

"Alice," he breathed. Edward's eyes flew open as well, but in horror, and he tried to jerk his hand away. But Aro was deep in the transfer now, and his fingers were a stone vice around Edward's hand. Finally he sighed in awe and released Edward, who took two full steps back, his eyes on the floor. The whole thing had taken eight seconds; twice as long as any I had ever seen. And from one so young! My Master looked like he had entered heaven itself. He turned to Caius and Marcus.

"Our young friend is indeed in great pain, my brothers," he said. "We must certainly do all we can to help. Let us council."

"I don't have much time," Edward said, once again speaking out of turn.

"Because Carlisle would try to prevent your death?" Aro asked gently.

"Something like that."

"Yes, that is something we must also consider, my brothers. Carlisle Cullen has been a great friend of ours for these past three centuries; we must consider his feelings in the matter, as well. He must care deeply for his creation, wouldn't you agree, Demetri? You've seen them together."

"Yes, Master."

"Let us council," Aro repeated, his voice grand. "Demetri, please escort our poor friend outside, and bring him back in one hour. Three miles, if you please."

Edward stared down at the Three again, his gaze resting the longest on Marcus. His eyes made some silent plea, and then he followed me out of the room.

.

.

.

It was quicker to drive, even at night. Our peaceful city had a night life made all the more lively by its unique safety; this night was even more lively, what with the festivities tomorrow. I took him to a little outdoor café, thinking it was the sort of human pretense he might appreciate. If the Three denied his request, I doubted he would be able to return to his former life; he was an empty shell as it was. That left him with only one viable option, which of course had been the only one all along. If he was going to be joining us, it was likely his cloak would immediately be darker than mine. I would need to remember my manners.

"Don't bother," he murmured, hardly making the effort to speak. He was drowning deeper into his grief with each minute now; I could practically hear his body drying up as his distress burned away whatever little blood was left from his last hunt. He leaned back in the chair as if he was tired; weary, even. I supposed he was.

"I'm afraid there's not much time before we have to return," I said. "But if you are suffering, I'm sure we could find you someone to drink… or some _thing_ ," I added distastefully.

"I won't need to feed again," he said. And though he didn't speak the last word, it hung in the warm air between us: _ever._

"I'm terribly curious, Edward," I said, "Have you _still_ never tasted human blood?"

"Not lately," he replied, and left it at that. Then his eyebrows rose suddenly, and he glanced around the café, the street. He sat up straighter in his chair, and it seemed that some energy returned to him. Some idea was churning in his mind; but whatever it was, Aro would sort it out.

A college-age human girl approached us, her dark curls bouncing as she walked and a neat little black apron tied to her waist. I felt vulnerable suddenly; I wasn't used to this sort of interaction with humans, like Heidi or Chelsea. My cloak was back in the car, folded neatly on the back seat. I ran my hand uncomfortably over my bare throat, feeling exposed… feeling disconnected.

"What will you have?" she asked, her speech flowing like poetry. I preferred the precision of my native Greek, but Italian was a comforting sound, as always; fluid, and yet warm. I inhaled her scent, closing my eyes in satisfaction as she burned my throat; she smelled lovely. But she was forbidden; locals were always forbidden. I wondered, though, if she lived a few miles further out, whether that would qualify her as "local". I slowly lifted my eyes to hers and smiled, my gift inhaling the deeper flavor of her mind. I would be able to find her again, if I was out.

But then I remembered my companion, and his sensitivities. "My apologies," I murmured, before animating my face for the girl.

"Ah, yes! We'll have… oh, what is it you Americans like, Edward? We'll have two cappuccinos."

The girl left, walking backwards as she stared at me. Edward was miserable enough that she didn't give him a second glance. We sat in silence until she returned, setting down our drinks with a flourish. He waited until she was gone to speak.

"Aro doesn't want the responsibility of having given the order to kill me," he said quietly. "He was worrying what Carlisle would think. He was hoping you would take some initiative and do it yourself, while we're out. Then he could blame you, and Carlisle would understand it was sort of an accident... a miscommunication."

I laughed once, shaking my head. "Nice try." I picked up my coffee, warming my hands on the ceramic vessel.

"So, in other words, you're _not_ willing to take the fall for your Master's sake? He must be overestimating your loyalty, then…"

My smile faded with my amusement; this was going too far. "I might have believed you if you had come up with it earlier," I said quietly as our waitress walked by again. She was watching me, and walking by more than she needed to. "But you really are a rotten liar."

A faint smirk pulled at one side of his mouth as he looked down at his coffee; the closest to a smile I had seen yet. "Hmm. I'm used to having more success than that."

I slammed down my cup, leaning back in my chair. "Well, _really,_ Edward, that's because you're used to playing with humans all the time, isn't it? It's a miracle that you even found yourself a mate in the first place!"

His cup shattered in his hand, and the waitress ran back over to us. She blotted the table with a fluffy towel and offered paper ones to Edward, whose shirt was now drenched. He didn't even look up at her.

"Bella _was_ human," he whispered, wincing as her name crossed his lips. His whole body was tensed now, his trembling hand curved as if it was still holding the cup.

Well, this was interesting. I hadn't even considered that particular downside to spending time with humans all day long. He must have killed her himself, one way or the other. No wonder he was so miserable- and no wonder he wasn't out avenging her death. I looked up, waiting for him to deny it.

He didn't.

"That _is_ tragic," I admitted. I was almost beginning to feel sorry for him now. Judging by his lame attempt at tricking me into killing him, and by whatever other idea was glinting in his eyes a moment ago, he must not have much hope for the Three granting his request. I didn't either, based on what Aro had said about Carlisle. Edward Cullen would soon be in a color of cloak that I had been coveting for centuries, and he wasn't even capable of enjoying it. What a _waste_.

What was it like, losing your mate? Was it even possible that our kind could love a mortal like that? Was the death of this human girl really the life-ending blow that it would have been, had she been the right species? Edward's tragedy was the direct result of his foolish choice, but that made him no less pitiful. If only he had listened to me, all those years ago! I looked over at him, remembering that he could hear me right now, versus the way my Master heard. _For what it's worth, Edward, I'm sorry things turned out this way for you._ _Really, I am._ _Though if you recall, I tried to tell you that Carlisle's path was the wrong one._

He nodded, still looking down at nothing.

 _I only hope that you can find some measure of peace here with us, if the Three decide not to end you._ _You will find Aro a generous and kind Master._ _I admit I was disdainful of your filial loyalty to Carlisle, but you may be surprised to learn how…_ I stopped, frowning at his suddenly peaceful expression.

"You are _staying,_ aren't you?" I demanded aloud.

"I'm not going anywhere."

_Good._ _I'm glad you're finally seeing things clearly, now that you've reached the end result of your stupidity. I just hope that when we return to the castle, you can muster the energy to show a little more respect for your betters._

I supposed it would fall to me to mentor him, now that Eleazar was gone. The gifted tended to stick together, with the notable exception of Chelsea and I. I would be generous, though. I felt somewhat responsible, having been the one sent to recruit him in the first place. I would make sure he was exposed to Chelsea's whatever-it-was, and perhaps some arrangements could be made for some time with Corin, as well. And I would complete his combat training myself, if Aro would permit it; Edward had been through enough, without being subjected to endless days and nights of Felix's bad jokes and hard knocks. I supposed he would spend more and more time at Aro's side, as time went on; I would try not to be jealous.

"That's very decent of you," Edward muttered. "Can we go now?"

"Soon," I said, checking my watch. I glanced around the café, ensuring that the humans were otherwise occupied as I flicked the contents of my cup across the pavement. "So, who's Alice?"

A growl finally rumbled to life from somewhere deep inside his frozen body; it seemed he still had someone to protect, after all. Well, he had certainly done a fine job of it so far. Really, what did he _think_ would happen when he came before Aro? My Master had only been waiting eighty years to touch his hand!

"Well? Alice? There's no point in being shy now."

He shook his head and did one of those peculiar semi-laughs of his, glancing out at the street again. It appeared I would have to wait and find out the gossip the usual way. "Fine," I said, standing and tossing some cash onto the table. "Let's go."

"Enjoy the festival tomorrow!" our waitress called. I turned around and favored her with a promising smile, making her drop her tray. My cup shattered as it hit the pavement, its shards joining the ones under Edward's chair.

I drove around for another twenty minutes, careful to keep at least three miles away from the minds deciding Edward's fate. About halfway through the drive, my charge suddenly stirred to life again. "What festival?" he asked, peering out the window with abrupt interest. He seemed to just be noticing the decorations littering the streetlamps and storefronts.

"St. Marcus."

He seemed moderately interested, and so I kept talking. I described, briefly, the ironic history surrounding the holiday. My description ended abruptly as we pulled into the small garage attached to the lobby; Edward would probably disapprove of the fact that Heidi's buffet tomorrow was in fact timed to coincide with height of the human frivolities, around noon; our own little way of celebrating. Plus, having a boisterous crowd out in the square was always a bonus. Not that the screams of our prey had ever drawn attention, but it was still a comfort to have that extra layer of noise... but I should probably think about it later.

In any case, Edward didn't appear to be listening anymore. He got out of the car mechanically, his focus on the minds inside. I reached into the back seat and shook my cloak back out, sighing in relief as its familiar weight settled over my back, and across my throat. I felt _right_ again.

Instead of using the covered walkway, I led Edward to the front door, breathing in a last whiff of the night air. It was odd; earlier today I had been buzzing with impatience to get outside the castle, to feel free. But now that I had spent an hour so far away from my Master, all I wanted was to return to him. I wasn't sure whether to hope that he would give Edward the kindness of agreeing to the execution, or whether he would choose to comfort him with a new home, a new life. It would be a longer process, but rewarding in the end, once Edward came to realize how fortunate he was. In either case, I hoped that he would have the presence of mind to at least attempt to feel some gratitude. Because in either case, Aro was taking on a great responsibility; in one, for Edward's death, in the other, for his life. Carlisle Cullen was officially out the picture, and good riddance.


	3. Denied

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains direct quotes from New Moon, chapter 20... it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

I had no sooner unlocked the door, than Edward froze mid-step beside me. He came back to life after a few seconds and slammed his fist into the stone wall, shouting an oath. He pulled his hand back out of the rubble, trembling in anger as his eyes darted back and forth between the castle and the city.

I tensed, unsure what he was going to do. I had no doubt what he had just overheard; his request was to be denied. Aro had chosen the path of mercy then; but not the quicker one that Edward had hoped for. Would he try to run? Should I stop him, if he did? But instead of bolting, he tore the door right off its frame, storming inside as it clattered to the stones between us.

"This is madness," he growled to himself. "I've got to talk to Marcus."

I caught up with him, leaping over the discarded door in my haste. "Aro is only doing what's best for you, Edward," I whispered earnestly as I followed him through the dark lobby. "He must have seen, through your memories, that your grief will not be permanent. You may have thought that the human female was your mate, but Aro is wise in these matters. He can see the best path for you. Just let him _help_ you!"

I lurched forward, catching his arms before he could tear the golden doors off of their frames, as well. _Control yourself!_ I thought harshly. _Or I'll take you inside myself, one piece at a time._ He drew a deep, angry breath and nodded, waiting for me to remove my hands before walking forward at a human pace.

"Ah, young Edward," Aro began when we entered. But Edward didn't even look at him, coming to a stop right in front of Marcus. The scene was identical to before, except that Renata now stood at Aro's shoulder.

"Marcus," Edward said through his teeth, "I thought you understood. You, of all people!" Marcus just peered back at him dully, his earlier interest gone. Edward stared hard at him, listening, and then snorted in disgust. "'The greater good'? Listen to yourself! Don't tell me you actually believe that drivel!"

I laid a warning hand on Edward's arm, silently imploring him to _please_ remember who he was speaking to. Although Edward had a great many lessons to learn about respect, I doubted that my Master thought now was the time.

"We _do_ understand, my young friend," Aro said sympathetically. "But we _must_ think of the greater good, mustn't we, Marcus?" Marcus nodded slowly, mechanically.

"You're simply too valuable," Caius added. "I can only imagine the benefits of having you out in the-"

Aro held up his hand, shaking his head slightly. "Our point is, well…. oh dear, this is going to sound terribly unfeeling… it's really too _wasteful_ , Edward. Your gift has marked you for such a great destiny, and we simply feel unable to destroy such a life. I'm sure that in time, you will find new meaning, new reasons to continue. And what a happy coincidence that you are already here! Our family is waiting to take you in, my boy, and give you every comfort in this difficult time. You need not suffer alone, and I think you will be surprised at how much purpose you discover, once you've joined us."

"I'm sure I would," Edward muttered, looking angrily at Marcus again. Then he flitted over toward Aro so fast that I feared the worst. I leapt for him, eager to throw myself in front of my Master. But of course, Edward and I simply tangled together, facing away from the Three in confusion. Renata.

"I wasn't attacking," Edward hissed to her. "I preferred to speak to your _Master_ in private, but very well. All I had to say is that even if I hadn't come here to make the request I did, I would still gladly _die_ before joining this _farce_ of a coven!"

I gasped in shock at his impudence. Was he _trying_ to get himself killed? But then I remembered that he was, of course. Perhaps this was just his latest strategy.

"Enough!" Caius thundered, rising to his feet. "We have listened to your idiotic request, and it has been denied. If you don't have the sense to take the incredible gift we are offering you, then be gone! Go home and cry to your yellow-eyed creator! Go drown your sorrows with the blood of rats, and leave us in peace!"

"Dear brother," Aro said, with just the faintest hint of impatience, "Peace. Can you not see the depth of Edward's grief? That he cannot return to his former life? It simply holds too much sadness for him. We are the only ones who can comfort him now. But you _may_ go in peace, young friend, if you choose. I do hope you find happiness, though I think you will soon realize that this is the only place left for you. Perhaps you could make an extended visit to our peaceful city, while you reflect."

Edward smiled, suddenly looking peaceful again. "Yes, I think I'll do just that," he murmured. "There is a festival tomorrow, after all." He spun on his heel and walked right out, without permission. Caius ground his teeth and inched forward, but Aro held up his hand in silent warning.

"Shall I go after him, Master?" I asked.

"No, let him be," Aro said thoughtfully.

"He's dangerous," Caius argued. "You said earlier that he was planning to force our hand, if we denied him."

"And he may, although I don't believe there is any danger tonight," Aro said sadly. "What a terrible, terrible waste." He frowned, and my heart burned with anger for my Master's sake. Couldn't Edward see how he was hurting Aro? Couldn't he see what he was being offered, however undeserved?

Nobody moved or spoke for several minutes. "Demetri," Aro said after a while, "how far away is our heartbroken friend?"

I closed my eyes, searching. "Five miles," I said, feeling him off to the west. "Perhaps six. He is not moving anymore."

Aro nodded, reaching absently for my hand. I gave it eagerly, and he laughed as soon as we touched.

"Now what?" Caius grumbled.

"Renata," Aro said, "be a dear and bring Santiago to me." She disappeared instantly. "Oh, nothing, Caius, just a little repair to be done out by the main lobby. Now, Demetri."

He turned to me, generosity in his dark, thirsty eyes. "You were wise, my old friend, to catch poor Edward in his lie. Still, it warms my heart to know that you would have killed him like that, just to protect my friendships. I am touched."

I bowed deeply. "He will see reason, Master, I am sure of it," I said. I would not normally speak so freely, but his praise made me bold.

"I am not sure of it," Marcus murmured.

"Nor I," Caius spat. "He should not be unattended while still in the city. He should be watched. Or at least dismembered while he _reflects_ ; that should give him some perspective on what 'great pain' truly means. She was just a human. What sentimental nonsense!"

Aro tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, thinking. "We have our duty," he announced. "And we must protect the city. Demetri, I want you and Felix to keep a close eye on Edward. Give him some space, but be ready. He may try something foolish. Pay particular attention after the sun rises."

"And if he does act?"

"You know the law," Caius said eagerly. I nodded, waiting for Aro's dismissal.

My Master was still looking troubled. "If he does force your hand, Demetri, bring the pieces to us. Don't burn anything yourself." He nodded, and I turned to go.

"Oh, and Demetri," Aro added as my hand touched the door. "Don't tell Felix what I just said about the burning. And do your best not to think about it, either, if you would. I know I can trust you to control your mind."

I bowed again, bursting with pride as I left to find Felix. I was being entrusted with something that he wasn't, because I was favored; I saw that now. Aro loved _me_. Nothing else mattered– not Edward Cullen's fate, nor my own foolish mental wanderings… not even Afton's triumphant smirk. I dashed the final orders from my mind and ducked into the stone corridor, my cloak billowing behind me and a new spring in my step.

.

.

.

"I don't see why we have to babysit him," Felix grumbled. It was almost noon, and we were standing in the shadows of an alley just next to the Palazzo dei Priori. We had our cloaks on, even though we were close to the human crowd; on St. Marcus Day, we fit in perfectly. Edward was a mere three hundred feet away from us, leaning lazily against the bricks of the Tower and somberly watching the humans go about their celebration. He had spent most of the night walking around the city, but he hadn't acted. He had stationed himself here at sunrise, and hadn't moved since. At least he was safely tucked in the shadows, like us. I just hoped he was using this time to reconsider his options.

I had spent the morning hours reminding him, mentally, of the myriad benefits that awaited him, if he would just make the right choice. They were endless: the joy of having a permanent home, the prestige of bearing the cloak, the comfort that friends like Chelsea and Corin could offer him, the convenience and honor of having our prey presented to us like kings. But the greatest benefits, I reminded him, would be to finally have a purpose to his life, and to serve under the loving rule of the most benevolent, wise leader a vampire could hope to have.

Edward looked more and more peaceful as the morning went on, and I was encouraged; my silent monologue appeared to be working. He didn't seem to want to die anymore, at least; he could have forced our hand at any point throughout the morning, but he hadn't. I found myself relieved; Aro didn't want to see Edward's life extinguished. And some small part of me was coming to like this strange vampire, as dead in his grief as he was. Now all that remained was for him to accept reality and reenter the castle with us.

My mind, and my throat, turned to other matters as I waited: Heidi's return. I checked my watch: 11:58. I thought again of the waitress from last night: delicious. But she was safe from me. I didn't need to chase waitresses and hunt like an animal, like the homeless wretches that wandered the earth without direction, without a purpose. _You see, Edward? You could begin reaping the benefits of Aro's favor even today: Heidi is due back with our blood in less than an hour._ _And don't tell me you don't look forward to that, even just a little._ _You admitted earlier to not following your creator's diet all the time. Now you can indulge your nature without guilt or shame._ _And if you are to be as honored as I imagine you are, you would get first pick of your prey, after the Coven._ _I will not resent your privilege._

Edward nodded absently, his eyes still on the humans and their fluttering red flags. If he was going to come back with us, why was he still out here? He needed time, I supposed. We might be out here with him for days, waiting until he set aside the first wave of his grief. Or perhaps he really did want to watch the festival; he had seemed interested in it last night. Maybe this was his way of bidding farewell to the first phase of his life: watching the humans frolic on the final day before they transitioned from his friends to his food. It was so deliciously ironic that he was here, today of all days; that the humans were celebrating their freedom from vampires, on the very day that they had just gained a new predator.

 _We don't feed on locals_ , I reminded him. _But Heidi is due any minute now. Either come with us and feed, or go hunt in the hills before you present yourself._ _I don't care which, but either way you're wasting our time._ _I'm trying to be patient, but my thirst-_

"Just a few more minutes," he murmured. "I want to see the rest."

So dramatic _._ And yet… it reminded me of Aro, in a way: he also had a fondness for the spectacular. I was growing more fond of young Edward every minute, though most of my care was still pity. If I could ease his burden, I would. But that was not my gift.

"I said, I don't see why we have to babysit him," Felix muttered. "He's not going to do anything. And Heidi's coming back soon."

"Felix, Felix," I sighed. "I am sure our Master will not forget us, if we are detained."

Felix sighed, checking his own watch and growling slightly. "You're different today," he muttered.

I shrugged. "It's a beautiful day."

"You're all _serene_ again," he complained. "You were just getting to be fun, the last couple of months."

I smiled up at him condescendingly. Felix's loyalty was like that of a dog: constant and brainless. Those of us who had the extra burden of age and gift carried a deeper, more complex devotion. There was no greater delight than having a purpose, and being useful to the Three… to Aro. We were the guardians of our world, and I took a serious pride in my work, at being the best. Felix's pride was more physical, but I didn't blame him for that; that was _his_ purpose.

The minute hand on the clock tower clicked into place, and I flinched automatically; I was usually deep inside the soundproof walls of my home during this part. The first bell rang out, and a chorus of crying children joined the cheers of the crowd.

"Demetri!" Felix hissed, suddenly alert. My eyes snapped back to Edward, who was staring back at us as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

 _What do you think you're doing?_ I demanded. His eyes darted forward meaningfully, toward the crowd of revelers. Toward the _sun_.

"You wouldn't," I growled. Another bell sounded, and another. He just stared back at me and undid another button defiantly, daring me to stop him. _Weren't you listening to anything I said?! This is outrageous!_ _Think of what you're throwing away!_

"You must uphold the law, Demetri," he murmured as he undid the last button. Another bell sounded. "It is your duty."

He let the shirt fall to the ground and took one step forward as the clock tolled again. So _this_ was why he had waited. He wanted to go out with _style_ , dying for his lost love at high noon. He had been planning this all morning!

"I don't believe this," Felix laughed. "He really wants to die, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," I sighed. Felix inched forward, but I held him back. "Let's give him one last chance. We'll stop him in time, if need be." _I mean it, Edward. I will spare you, even now, if you stop this madness._ _Don't be a fool!_ _I don't want to destroy you!_

I really didn't. I had waited eighty years for Edward to come to us, and I had just spent the past five hours trying again to win him over, hopeful that he was finally heeding my words of wisdom. A false hope, it now seemed; I had failed my Master once again. But I was out of time. The clock tolled again, and Edward took the final step behind the forbidden line on the pavement. Felix and I surged forward, out of the alley and into the lighter shadows; we had waited long enough. He would be in pieces by the time the bells were finished. In fact, it looked now like Edward had picked this moment for precisely that reason: so we could destroy him under the clamor of the bells.

He nodded politely to me, turning his face toward the crowd and closing his eyes. Even though he was still in shadow, the irregularities in the pavement reflected upon his face and upper body with just a hint of glitter. I sighed and nodded to Felix. We walked faster, and the gong of the seventh bell began to fade away. Five left; we needed to hurry, if we were going to take advantage of Edward's morbid thoughtfulness.

"No! Edward, look at me!"

Felix and I froze, looking toward the sound. A human girl was stumbling through the crowd, toward Edward. But how could someone in Italy recognize him? He had never been here before. He smiled and advanced his right foot into the sunlight, but we couldn't very well dismember him in front of the girl, who was clearly on her way over here.

Before we could react, the girl slammed right into him, his arms locking around her in reflex. He opened his black eyes and smiled down at her peacefully, as if he had been expecting her. The bells continuing to ring out.

"Amazing," he whispered. "Carlisle was right."

"I'm confused," Felix said, still frozen at my side.

I was confused, as well. The girl seemed not to have noticed Edward's stone-like skin at all. A new suspicion crept over my heart, but I was too astounded to care at the moment. The girl's lips were moving, trying to speak around the crushing vice of Edward's grip, and above the eleventh bell that was just sounding.

"You've got to get back to the shadows," she gasped. "You have to move!"

A growl rumbled in Felix's chest. "Looks like we've got ourselves a breach," he said, cracking his knuckles eagerly and surging forward again.

I grabbed his arm. "Wait," I hissed. "I want to see what he says." Felix was right; this girl was already dead. But how had she known? Why was Edward just standing there, smiling like a fool?

"I can't believe how quick it was," he told the girl. "I didn't feel a thing- they're very good." He closed his eyes again, kissing her hair and drawing in her scent like he was feeding. He inhaled deeply, sighing in relief. " _Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty…_ You smell just exactly the same as always. So maybe this _is_ hell. I don't care. I'll take it."

The final chime of the clock tower faded away, and understanding dawned over me, an impossible truth: _this_ was the girl! This was the mate whose death had driven him to suicide. But I thought he had killed her himself? How could he have been mistaken about something like that?

"I'm not dead," she told him, as if she had heard me wondering. "And neither are you! Please, Edward, we have to move. They can't be far away!"

"I don't _believe_ this," Felix breathed, his fists clenching.

"What was that?" Edward asked the girl calmly. He had completely forgotten our presence, it seemed. He was beginning to look confused.

"We're not dead!" she insisted. "But we have to get out of here before the Volturi-"

Several things happened at once. As the girl spoke the forbidden word, Felix surged forward in anger. I rushed forward, too, afraid he would forget our audience in his eagerness. Edward's serene expression twisted into shock as he registered both the truth about his situation, and our proximity. He spun the girl around, thrusting her deeper into the shadows and up against the brick wall. He blurred around again to face us, throwing his arms up in a futile defense of his human mate.

"Greetings, gentlemen," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters."

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?" Felix purred.

Edward's jaw clenched so hard I thought it would break. "I don't believe that will be necessary. I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules."

Felix whispered beneath the girl's hearing. "You have broken the _only_ rule."

I took another step forward, speaking at a normal volume. "Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun. Let us seek better cover."

"I'll be right behind you," Edward said drily. "Bella, why don't you go back to the square and enjoy the festival?"

"No, bring the girl," Felix said, his voice darkening along with his eyes. I finally noticed her scent: she was _magnificent_. How on earth _hadn't_ Edward killed her before now?

Edward's lips drew back, revealing teeth that were already glistening with venom. "I don't think so." He shifted his weight towards us slightly; a threat.

"No," the girl whispered frantically. Edward shushed her, his eyes meeting mine now. He did not relax his defense, but covered his teeth again as he stared, silently pleading for mercy.

I could, possibly, let them go. I outranked Felix, and this was my call. My instructions had been to watch Edward while he was in the city, because of the risk. He had his mate again, and he clearly wanted to leave in peace; my duty was fulfilled. But now there was the matter of Edward's crime, just revealed: the girl had knowledge of our world. Of the _Volturi_. But I didn't think Aro would summarily execute him, not even for this; it would be as much as a waste as before. And Aro must have already known about this from touching Edward's hand last night, and he hadn't protested. Besides, I could always find them again. I focused on the girl's mind, drawing in her-

Nothing. Nothing at _all_. I panicked for a moment, unsure of myself. This had never happened before! Was I losing my touch? I focused harder, pulling at her brain with the full power of my gift. Again, nothing. I wouldn't be able to find her, if Edward wasn't nearby. That was a risk too great to take; this would need to go before Aro, after all.

But first, I needed to defuse the situation. Felix was shifting his weight in a mirror image of Edward's; not crouching yet, but still, entering dangerous territory in public.

"Felix," I said sharply. "Not here." Felix sighed and stood up fully. Satisfied, I turned back to Edward and the girl. "Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all."

"Certainly," Edward said, his eyes still hard. "But the girl goes free."

 _I can't, Edward_ , I told him. _Surely you can understand my position._

"Demetri, please," he said softly, so the girl wouldn't hear. "You said you would ease my burden if you could. Please, just let us go. I'm begging you, just this once, do the right thing!" His eyes softened from anger into fear, looking anxiously down at his mate. " _Please_."

The right thing? I _was_ doing the right thing! I was protecting our world from dangers like him and his human pet! Some deeper, quieter part of me wanted to be merciful; there was no denying how he had suddenly come back to life, now that he had the human again. As dark as his eyes were, I could see that his lifeless grief had immediately been replaced by the love he thought he had lost. And the girl clung to him as if he were life itself, as though there was nothing else in the world to cling to. It was... beautiful. Such a thing should not be destroyed, not even by me. Edward caught his breath, hearing my thought, and his eyebrows raised hopefully.

But I had my duty. Edward's case was no longer just a tragic story. He was turning out to be a criminal, and the evidence was right in front of me, staring with fear-filled brown eyes. It was one thing to play the incubus, and clean up after oneself; distasteful, but not illegal. But this was forbidden. I couldn't take the risk of letting the girl leave, not when I couldn't trace her. Aro would not only be displeased if I let them go, now; he would be disappointed, perhaps even angry. And that was something I could not bear. That, and not mere duty, was the reason I would have to become what the oddly-matched pair before me would consider a villain. I had done it before. Edward's face fell, his eyes glinting with new hatred as I made my decision.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," I said.

* * *

**Sorry, I know that was an abrupt chapter break! But I really want to highlight this as the moment when Demetri shifts from "could have been a good guy" to "enemy". From Edward's perspective, at least. When he said "Demetri is mine" in BD, it seemed like he had some extra reason to hate him, beyond the danger of his tracking gift- which was one of the reasons I invented the visit back in 1926, to give them a bit of history together. So this moment here is when that sense of betrayal is formed.**

**Some of you have asked how far this story is going to go. I will definitely be covering the rest of the Volterra scene from Demetri's perspective, and a little beyond that. Then I think there will be an Aro POV chapter. The story will end in the moments following the big confrontation in BD, back in Demetri's POV.**


	4. Trial

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains many, many direct quotes from New Moon, chapters 20 and 21. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**But I've added a few Demetri tidbits here and there, to keep it interesting. The only major addition is the moment when Chelsea tries to bind Bella, and then Edward, to Aro- but fails, of course. She fails with Bella because of the shield, and she fails with Edward because his mate cannot be bound. I know this wasn't mentioned in the book, but Bella wouldn't have even noticed Chelsea's effort taking place- and I can't imagine that Aro didn't at least try. Also, it explains Edward's hesitant "I'd... rather... not".**

* * *

"We do have rules to obey," I told Edward. _And I'm afraid you've forced my hand._

Edward bared his teeth again. "Then _I'm_ afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri."

"That's just fine," Felix purred. His eyes were still trained on the girl's throat; he was no doubt hoping to claim the spoils of the fight Edward was promising.

"Aro will be disappointed," I sighed.

"I'm sure he'll survive the letdown," Edward scoffed.

I clenched my teeth, growing impatient. This game had gone on long enough. I nodded to Felix, and we spread apart, flanking Edward and the human against the sunlight. He had to know that there was no point in resisting. _Come now, Edward. If you value human life, as you pretend to, you will come peacefully._ _It would be a shame if I had to dispose of any other witnesses._

But instead of defeat, I saw a sudden gleam of hope in his eye. His head snapped around toward the darker end of the alley, and I smelled another vampire approaching: a stranger.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we? There are ladies present."

The voice was high and feminine, matching the petite female that waltzed up to Edward's side. She was almost as tiny as Jane, though physically mature. Edward quirked a weak smile toward her and turned to face us again, with more courage this time. Felix and I paused our advance, unsure how to proceed. Who was this? Another creation of Carlisle Cullen, judging by her yellow eyes.

"We're not alone," she announced, nodding toward the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder, frowning when I saw a family of humans watching us. The oldest female looked upset, and was whispering in the male's ear.

"It looks like that girl's in trouble, John. We should do something!"

Unbelievable. I glared at the human female, all but baring my teeth in warning to mind her own business. But the male took offense to this especially, and promptly walked over to the security guards.

"Your Master wouldn't want you to cause a scene," Edward murmured under his breath. "We part ways now."

I shook my head. "Please, Edward, let's be reasonable."

"Let's," he said darkly. "And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser."

I sighed, glancing back in annoyance at the security guards who were converging on our position. "At least let us discuss this more privately."

Edward snapped his teeth shut; he might be a criminal, but he was no idiot. "No." Felix laughed quietly, taking another step forward.

"Not in front of the humans," I muttered, catching his wrist.

"Enough."

We all turned to see Jane approaching. Felix and I relaxed; there was no chance of Edward escaping now. I leaned casually against the brick wall, smiling pleasantly at the security guards, who lost interest immediately. Edward relaxed his defensive pose as well; he knew he was beaten. He had met Jane before. The female stranger crossed her arms in defiance, but made no protest.

"Follow me," Jane ordered, turning to lead us home. I normally couldn't stand the girl, but I had to admit her timing was impeccable. As we made our way deeper into the shadows, the human moved to speak, but Edward silenced her with a shake of his head. Then he turned to the stranger.

"Well, Alice, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

As they murmured their reunion, I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. Not only was I bringing Edward back in one piece, not only had I captured the human liability, but now I discovered I was delivering the mysterious Alice right into Aro's eager presence. I still had no idea what her significance was, but I knew that he was going to be thrilled to see her; it was a shame that she would have to implicated, along with Edward. She was referring to the human with familiarity: definitely an accomplice. Even if Edward had insisted on dooming himself, she should have reported the crime immediately. Her loyalty to her "brother" was going to cost her.

.

.

.

The human gave us some trouble when it was time to enter the subterranean tunnel. She was afraid to descend into what to her must have looked like a dark pit, and it took Alice and Edward a few moments to coax her down through the portal. Edward held her more tightly after that, as we walked; he understood that he would need to surrender her soon, if not his own life. She held him tightly, as well; I wondered if she understood that she wouldn't make it out of here alive. Edward's mistaken grief earlier was not far from the mark. He was the one who had doomed her to this. I waited for Edward to turn with teeth bared against my thought, but he was completely absorbed in the girl. He pressed his lips to her hair, her face as they walked.

Disgusting. And yet, touching, in an unexpected way.

As we descended, the girl began to shiver. Her clothes were wet for some reason, and Edward's closeness was making her colder. As soon as he heard my observation, he pulled away from her, looking guilty. But she protested, refusing to be anywhere except under his arm. He sighed and allowed her to pull him close again, rubbing her arms with his cold hands in a vain attempt to warm her. What was the point? She was going to die in a matter of minutes, anyway.

I couldn't imagine what Edward saw in this shivering, fragrant human. She was rather plain, even as humans went. She didn't even seem to be a healthy specimen: she was too thin, and looked even more exhausted than Edward had when he had first come to us. Her wet clothes and hair made her look like a drowned rat. She couldn't even walk properly- she kept tripping over her own feet in the darkness, Edward propping her up when necessary. He performed this task patiently, reverently. As if there were no greater joy in the world than to keep this human upright. Why hadn't he just turned her, if he loved her so much? He had known the risk of keeping her human all along, and now, depending on Aro's mercy, he might need to pay the ultimate price. Even if Aro spared him after killing the girl, he would only return to the useless mass of suicidal stone he had been last night. What a confounded _waste_ of immortality.

We continued on, through the gate and into the lower level hall. Jane already had the elevator door open, and the human backed into one of the corners as we ascended, staring at Felix and I. Jane was smiling serenely at Edward, no doubt giving him some nasty silent message. I was still angry at Jane for her childishness in 1926, when she had accompanied me on the recruitment mission to the U.S. I had no doubt that her abrasive thoughts had been part of the reason for Edward's refusal to accompany us… and her "sample" certainly hadn't helped either. Granted, Edward had asked her to do it- one of the many symptoms of the mental effects of his artificial diet- but still. I suppose it had been partly my fault, for allowing it.

Well, it didn't matter now. I was actually surprised that Jane was behaving herself _this_ well. But she might be suspecting the same possibility as I had: that Aro might still spare Edward, and give him the cloak after all. He had certainly known about the crime after taking Edward's hand yesterday, and done nothing about it. Though I supposed judgment had been unnecessary, considering he had thought the girl dead, as well. We would see how Edward would fare now, with the evidence of his crime walking into Aro's presence on her own two feet. Or stumbling, as the case may be.

The elevator opened, and we stepped into the lobby. Gianna was stinking of food; she must have taken her lunch break early. She greeted Jane, ignoring the rest of us. As Edward stepped into the lights, I remembered with annoyance that none of us had thought to pick up his shirt back in the alley; his bare chest was glistening in the white lights overhead. As we moved toward the wooden doors, Felix favored Gianna with a wink, which sent her into a blushing giggle. She had been told, just like her predecessors before her, that Felix had interceded on her behalf with The Three. She believed that she was to be spared, that she would be given immortality so that she could be with Felix forever.

One of Felix's many roles was Human Resources- an ironic term, to be sure- and the charade was always the same. Felix proclaimed his eternal love to each receptionist in turn, and promised them immortality at the end of their two years of service. This ensured their silence and their optimum job performance. They always fell for the ruse, and Felix always enjoyed his role. Gianna _had_ been promised to him, actually, but not in the way she thought.

Alec was waiting for us in the hall. He and his sister greeted one another affectionately. "They send you out for one and you come back with two… and a half," he added, glancing curiously at the human.

I ground my teeth. So that was why Jane had made her timely appearance! We had hidden cameras in the alley; Aro must have seen our difficulty and sent Jane to bring us in. It was mortifying; not only had the surprise been ruined, but now Jane was the one who would get the honor of bringing everyone in. Nasty, childish girl! She was already petted and spoiled enough. She would be intolerable after this.

"Welcome back, Edward," Alec said. "You seem to be in a better mood."

"Marginally," Edward replied. Alec then looked down again at the human, who was still tucked under Edward's arm.

"And this is the cause of all the trouble?" he asked in amusement. He inhaled deeply, his eyes darkening at her scent.

"Dibs," Felix grunted. Alec frowned politely, but Edward turned around to face Felix, an angry snarl rumbling in his chest. Felix grinned and beckoned for Edward to attack. We weren't in public anymore, but this was ridiculous. If Aro had seen us on the cameras, he would be waiting eagerly to meet Alice.

But Edward didn't attack, after all. Alice restrained him with a gentle hand, and he looked down at her, taking a deep breath and turning back around after a moment. Perhaps she was a drug, like Corin and Chelsea. If so, I didn't see why she merited Aro's attention.

Alec slipped his hand in Jane's, turning to lead us down the hall. "Aro will be so pleased to see you again," he said to Edward politely. Alec always had better manners than his sister, but he was really putting on a show now. Perhaps he, too, thought Aro would spare Edward. I couldn't really blame him for trying to get on Edward's good side, in that case; his cloak was destined to be darker than any of ours. If he did join us, I hoped he would forgive me for bringing his human to her doom. He would understand… eventually.

"Let's not keep him waiting," Jane said. Edward nodded, his earlier defiance gone. I supposed he didn't want to feel the flames a second time. A wise choice.

Instead of going to the library this time, Jane and Alec led us straight to the Dining Room. My throat burned as I saw everyone gathered there; it was almost time. The wives were dressed well, as usual, and everyone except Aro had already taken off their cloaks for feeding.

"Jane, dear one, you've returned!" Aro stepped forward, smiling without surprise at our guests; yes, he had seen the cameras. He took Jane's thoughts with a kiss.

"Yes, Master," Jane said sweetly. "I brought him back alive, just as you wished."

"Ah, Jane. You are such a comfort to me."

I held back the jealous snarl that wanted to tear out of my throat. How _dare_ she take credit for this! Felix and I had wasted the past twelve hours out there with Edward, not to mention the extra time I put in at that odiferous café last night. All she had done was waltz up to us in the alley and _look_ at him. In fact, that was all she ever did. It was all she needed to do. We had all, at one time or another, felt Jane's fire. I hated the privileges it gave her. I hated how she was nothing more than a flamethrower with feet, and yet Aro treated her like a daughter. I hated how she walked around the castle like she owned the place. I hated _her._

Aro turned toward our guests. "And Alice and Bella, too!" he cried, clapping his hands in delight. "This _is_ a happy surprise! Wonderful!"

My anger melted into embarrassment as I saw the delight on my Master's face. It didn't matter who brought him what; all that mattered was his happiness. I felt ashamed, now, at my jealous thoughts. _Forgive me,_ I thought for his attention later on. _Sometimes I covet your praise too much. I am content with whatever role serves best._

Aro turned to Felix and I, as though he had heard my thought. But his smile was for Felix, not for me. "Felix, be a dear and tell my brothers about our company. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this."

Felix bowed slightly. "Yes, Master." He turned to go, and I withdrew to stand beside the others in the Guard. Aro turned finally to Edward, and I waited for his pronouncement of judgment. But his face was kind.

"You see, Edward? What did I tell you? Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?"

 _Be careful, Edward_ , I warned him silently. _This is no time for another of your rude displays. You're in enough trouble as it is._

Edward, for once, appeared to listen to me. "Yes, Aro, I am," he said calmly.

"I love a happy ending," Aro said kindly. "They are so rare. But I want the whole story. How did this happen? Alice? Your brother seems to think you infallible, but apparently there was some mistake."

"Oh, I'm far from infallible," Alice said stiffly, despite her smile. "As you can see today, I cause problems as often as I cure them."

"You're too modest," Aro scolded. "I've seen some of your more amazing exploits, and I must admit I've never observed anything like your talent. Wonderful!"

Alice finally looked uneasy, glancing at Edward in question. He briefly explained Aro's talent to her, and she asked him some sort of silent question. He nodded.

Aro watched the exchange with curiosity. "But to be able to hear from a distance," he sighed, looking back at Edward with fondness, "That would be so _convenient_."

We all turned as Caius and Marcus entered the Dining Room, with Felix bringing up the rear. He slid into place beside me.

"Marcus, Caius, look!" Aro cried, raising his hands in greeting. "Bella is alive after all, and Alice is here with her! Isn't that wonderful?"

Caius glanced toward the human with distaste, and took his seat without a word. Marcus did not; he slowed his steps, his impassive expression breaking with momentary interest as his gaze moved over the three visitors. He paused at Aro's side, touching his hand briefly.

Aro's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Thank you, Marcus. That's quite interesting."

Marcus himself seemed to lose interest then, continuing on to his throne. Athenodora took her place behind Caius, and Sulpicia stood waiting beside her, her hand resting on the back of Aro's empty throne. Aro himself was staring at our visitors with renewed interest, his delight now turned to awe.

"Amazing," he said, shaking his head. "Simply amazing." Edward turned to Alice, briefly explaining Marcus' gift. "It's just so difficult to understand, even now," Aro continued. "How can you stand so close to her like that?"

"It's not without effort," Edward replied.

"But still- _la tue cantante_! What a waste!"

My eyes snapped back over to the defendants in surprise. The girl was Edward's _singer?_ It wasn't possible! There was no way he could have left her alive this long. The flame in my throat burst into an inferno as I remembered my own singer. It had happened back in 1550, when I was tracking one of the Southern Covens. One whiff, and I was lost. I abandoned my mission without a thought. In the end, I had to slaughter an entire village and burn it to the ground to cover my tracks. It had been the most embarrassing moment in my career. I had never been so afraid as I had been that next day, when I reported back to Caius, my clothes stained with blood and smoke. And he had been furious… but at least he had understood. When your singer calls, you answer. How _was_ Edward standing there next to her? Aro couldn't have been mistaken, but it still seemed impossible.

Edward laughed darkly. "I look at it more as a price."

Aro looked skeptical. "A very high price."

"Opportunity cost."

Aro laughed. "If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong. I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…" he trailed off, looking disappointed. It was one of the great injustices of our world, that Aro himself had never personally had a singer. Only Chelsea, Caius, myself, and Felix had experienced this glorious phenomenon, though Aro had also observed it through various other vampires whose hand he had taken over the millennia. And he might never have one of his own; it wasn't a given that each vampire would ever encounter a singer. Felix boasted having found two, though I was skeptical. It irked me that Edward, so young and careless, had already been given this great gift. And yet he did not accept it!

"Waste it," Edward finished.

Aro laughed again. "Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him – only he was not so angry."

Edward dropped his eyes. "Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well."

"I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame."

"Hardly."

"I am gratified by his success," Aro continued. "Your memories of him are quite a gift for me, though they astonished me exceedingly. I am surprised by how it… pleases me, his success in this unorthodox path he's chosen. I expected to find that he would waste, weaken with time. I'd scoffed at his plan to find others who share his peculiar vision. Yet, somehow, I'm happy to be wrong. But _your_ restraint! I did not know such strength was possible. To inure yourself against such a siren call, not just once but again and again – if I had not felt it myself, I would not have believed. Just remembering how she appeals to you… it makes me thirsty."

Edward tensed as Aro's eyes drifted down to the human's throat, his eyes darkening. I tensed as well, ready to restrain him if necessary. The girl's blood would go to Aro, then. It was better to have done with it soon; she was delectable, and all of us were suffering now. But he did not move to take her.

"Don't be disturbed," he told Edward, pulling his eyes reluctantly away from the girl's pulse. "I mean her no harm. But I am so curious, about one thing in particular. May I?" He lifted his hand toward the girl.

"Ask _her_ ," Edward said flatly.

"Of course, how rude of me!" Aro exclaimed. "Bella, I'm fascinated that you are the one exception to Edward's impressive talent – so very interesting that such a thing should occur! And I was wondering, since our talents are similar in many ways, if you would be so kind as to allow me to try – to see if you are an exception for _me_ , as well?

The girl shrank away from his hand, looking up to Edward. He nodded. She took a deep breath and turned back to Aro, offering him her shaking hand. His face was excited, hopeful as he took her hand. But as too many seconds passed, his smile faded. He finally released her.

"So very interesting," he said. Could it be that she was some sort of shield? It certainly explained my inability to latch onto her mind earlier. It was a comforting thought- it meant there was nothing wrong with me.

"A first," he murmured. "I wonder if she is immune to our other talents… Jane, dear?"

And that was when Edward lost it. I could tell that he had been trying to stay calm as the interrogation had progressed, though he had again failed to speak respectfully. But now he snarled his anger, and this time Alice was unable to calm him. Jane stepped out of our line, looking angelic. "Yes, Master?" she cooed. Edward's snarls grew to open growling now. He bared his teeth at Aro, and everyone in the room gasped in shock at his behavior. Caius stood and drew closer, motioning for the rest of to be ready. Felix surged forward eagerly, but froze as Aro sent him a sharp, disapproving glance.

"I was wondering, my dear one, is Bella is immune to _you_ ," Aro said to Jane.

Edward's snarls became a roar of anger, and he shot forward in attack. "Don't!" Alice cried too late. Jane smiled, and Edward dropped in a heap to the floor at her feet, writhing under her fiery gaze for the second time in his short life. At least he knew what to expect this time; he was silent in his torment. Unlike _last_ time. I shivered as I remembered the various times I had felt it. Fourteen times Jane had burned me, and I had never been able to remain silent like this. Edward _did_ have quite the self-control, it seemed. I felt an ounce of my admiration for him return. Not that it mattered; he had just signed his own death warrant, twice over. I didn't think I had _ever_ seen anyone try to attack Jane before.

"Stop!" The human moved toward him, but Alice grabbed her and held her fast. I waited for Aro to give the signal for execution, but his patience was endless. He let Edward burn for ten more seconds before calling Jane off. Edward's body jerked one last time, and then he was still. The human was weeping for him now.

"He's fine," Alice assured her. Edward sprang back up into standing, watching in horror as Jane turned her gaze toward his human mate. But Jane's smile faded just as Aro's had; she had been foiled, as well. Edward pulled his mate back into his arms, looking smug. Jane was _furious_.

Aro's eyes flicked to me in question now; he wondered, no doubt, whether my own gift had worked on the girl. I shook my head, and he bubbled into laughter. "This is wonderful!" he cried, clapping his hands in delight as he turned to Jane. "Don't be put out, dear one," he soothed as he touched her shoulder. "She confounds us all." Jane bared her teeth at the girl one last time, but stayed put.

Aro laughed again. "You're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once – just out of curiosity." He shook his head, smiling indulgently. But in a moment, his smile faded. "So what do we do with you now?" he sighed.

The moment had come. Aro had delayed judgment because of his curiosity, but he had his duty- we all did. But he still seemed reluctant. "I don't suppose there's any chance that you've changed your mind?" he asked Edward hopefully. "Your talent would be an excellent addition to our little company."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chelsea inching forward. Aro's eyes flashed to hers just briefly, with the slightest of nods. She turned to look at the human- attempting to calm her in her last moments, I guessed- but ground her teeth in annoyance. Her gaze turned to Edward then, and Aro held his breath.

For the first time, Edward seemed to consider the offer. Uncertainty replaced his anger, and he opened his mouth to speak. Marcus leaned forward in his throne, his face suddenly alight with interest. He stared at Edward and the human, and then at Chelsea. Aro glanced back to him, and he shook his head. I took Edward's delay as encouragement, and added my own. _This is it, Edward_ , I called urgently. _This is your last chance. Don't be a fool!_

But a fool he remained. "I'd rather not," he said, grinding out each word with effort. He hadn't been lying last night then; he really would rather die than serve my Master. I couldn't even wrap my head around it. Marcus relaxed in his throne, and Aro frowned politely.

"Alice?" he asked. "Would you perhaps be interested in joining with us?"

"No, thank you."

Aro turned to the human, looking hopeful again. "And you, Bella?"

Edward hissed protectively, and Caius stepped closer, looking shocked. "What?"

Aro turned his head slightly toward his brother, his eyes still on the human. "Caius, surely you see the potential. I haven't seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us?"

Caius snorted his disapproval, and Edward began growling again.

"No, thank you," the girl stammered.

Aro sighed. "That's unfortunate. Such a waste."

"Join or die, is that it?" Edward hissed. "I suspected as much when we were brought to _this_ room. So much for your laws." He spoke the last phrase deliberately, as though he were making some sort of strategic play.

"Of course not!" Aro said quickly. "We were already convened here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you."

"Aro," Caius interrupted, "The law claims them."

"How so?" Edward demanded.

Caius pointed at the human. "She knows too much. You have exposed our secrets."

"There are a few humans in your charade here, as well," Edward challenged.

"Yes, but when they are no longer useful to us, they will serve to sustain us. That is not your plan for this one. If she betrays our secrets, are you prepared to destroy her? I think not."

"I wouldn't-" the girl began.

"Nor to do you intend to make her one of us," Caius continued, ignoring her. "Therefore, she is a vulnerability. Though it is true, for this, only _her_ life is forfeit. You may leave if you wish."

Edward bared his teeth, and Caius smirked, pleased with his bluff. "That's what I thought," he said smugly. Felix took a single step forward, and Caius' hand drifted toward his pocket, where he kept the torch.

Aro held up his hand. "Unless… unless you do intend to give her immortality?" He stared hard at Edward, looking desperate for a moment.

Edward hesitated, listening to whatever it was Aro was telling him. "And if I do?" he asked aloud.

Aro's face relaxed into a smile. "Why, then you would be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle. But I'm afraid you would have to mean it." He held out his hand expectantly.

Edward looked down at the human, looking tortured. "Mean it," she said to him lifelessly. "Please."

But it was Alice who stepped forward, offering her hand. Aro swept forward, taking it hungrily. He closed his eyes, a frozen statue over the tiny hand he held. Five seconds passed. Ten. _Fifteen_. Alice had to be younger than Edward, since she wasn't with the Cullens back in 1926. What gift could possibly expand her collection of thoughts to this magnitude?

Aro laughed in sheer delight, his eyes still closed. After another second, he looked up at Alice with glowing eyes. "That was _fascinating_!"

Alice smiled stiffly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"To see the things you've seen – especially the ones that haven't happened yet!"

A chorus of quiet gasps filled the room. So this was Alice's gift- she could see the future! Such a gift had never even been dreamed of, not even by Aro himself. No wonder he had been so delighted to have Alice arrived unannounced!

"But that will," Alice said firmly.

"Yes, yes, it's quite determined. Certainly there's no problem," Aro said cheerfully.

"Aro," Caius growled.

"Dear Caius, do not fret. Think of the possibilities! They do not join us today, but we can always hope for the future. Imagine the joy young Alice alone would bring to our little household… Besides, I'm so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!"

"Then we are free to go now?" Edward asked.

Aro smiled kindly. "Yes, yes. But please visit again. It's been absolutely enthralling!"

"And we will visit you as well," Caius threatened. "To be sure that you follow through on your side. Were I you, I would not delay too long. We do not offer second chances."

Edward's jaw clenched, and I braced myself for his next outburst. But he knew he lucky he was to receive this mercy. He simply nodded. Caius watched him a moment more, and then returned to Marcus' side. Felix groaned in disappointment beside me.

"Ah, Felix," Aro sighed, "Heidi will be here at any moment. Patience."

Edward stiffened. "Hmm. In that case, perhaps we'd better leave sooner rather than later." He had a good point. Once we began feeding, not even Aro's orders would be able to stop us from feeding on the girl, were she to remain.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Aro agreed. "Accidents do happen. Please wait below until after dark, though, if you don't mind."

"Of course."

"And here," Aro added, finally motioning Felix forward. But he merely reached up and pulled Felix's cloak away, tossing it to Edward. "Take this. You're a little conspicuous."

Edward knew better than to disobey now- though the irony was not lost on any of us. He donned the cloak, barely masking his distaste.

"It suits you," Aro sighed.

Edward chuckled darkly, but maintained his newfound respect. "Thank you, Aro. We'll wait below." He looked back at the door anxiously, hearing something. I stretched out with my own gift, my venom flowing as I felt Heidi's presence within the walls. Finally! But Aro caught my eye, nodding towards our departing guests. I nodded and turned to escort them out.

"Goodbye, young friends," Aro called from behind us. As I turned around to close the door behind us, I saw Aro summon Chelsea and take her hand.

"Fascinating," he breathed as he released her. "Simply _fascinating_."

* * *

**Well, that covers most of the text from New Moon. The next chapter will be mostly original stuff- Demetri's reflection on Edward's choices, and a little surprise that Aro has in store for him. Then a little Aro-POV chapter, so we can _really_ feel sorry for Demetri, since I've decided he's not particularly evil. After that I may or may not have an intervening chapter before the BD conclusion... Demetri doesn't seem to do/say anything much during the Eclipse visit, so I'm probably not going to do a whole lot with that. But it might be fun to have a chapter back in Volterra, leading up to the final confrontation.**


	5. Reward

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains direct quotes from New Moon, chapters 21 and 22. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.**

* * *

"Not fast enough," Alice muttered. The lobby door opened and the glorious aroma of Heidi's catch filled the hall, followed a moment later by the first of them stepping inside. I pressed myself against the stones to let them pass, indicating that Edward and Alice should do the same. They pulled the human aside as the sea of humanity passed, and I heard Aro give his usual tour-guide welcome. I inhaled deeply, noticing one or two that spelled especially good. Edward clutched his mate to his chest, but as we began moving again, she began to cry, horror in her eyes: she understood.

We reached the main hallway just as the last human stragglers passed us by. Heidi was bringing up the rear as usual, and looking as lovely as ever. St. Marcus Day was always her favorite. She had many methods of bringing in our prey, but she especially enjoyed the ruse she employed every year on this day. This particular group had been told that they were getting a tour of the stronghold of the vampires that had once terrorized the city. The irony was just delicious... as was their superstitious fear. A quiet growl rumbled in Edward's chest as he heard my delight. But he did not turn around. No matter how much he disapproved of the fate of the humans he had just observed, he would not endanger his mate again. He had done that enough for one day.

"Welcome home, Heidi," I said, ignoring him.

"Demetri," she purred, looking curiously at our visitors. She seemed especially surprised to see Edward's cloak, no doubt wondering what had transpired while she had been out hunting.

"Nice fishing," I complimented her, nodding back toward the Dining Room.

She smiled, her violet eyes flicking back to mine. She had already fed, then: one of the benefits of her particular task. "Thanks. Aren't you coming?"

"In a minute. Save a few for me." She nodded and ducked inside the panel, sliding it shut behind herself. We continued on toward the lobby, Edward pulling the girl even faster now. The screaming began before we reached the door, though, and she flinched inside Edward's arms. He just pulled her along even more quickly, staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched. I paused at the soundproof door, stretching out with my gift to make sure there were no humans in the lobby to hear the sound of our prey dying back in the Dining Room. The sound was raking at my throat, and I was eager now to be rid of our visitors. Sensing only Gianna's presence, I pushed open the door and led them out into the lobby. The peaceful music playing through the speakers was at odds with the chorus of screams behind us- a dissonant symphony, but an appetizing one. Gianna tensed at the new sound, but made no other sign; she had heard it before. No doubt she was thinking about how lucky she was to escape such a fate.

As soon as everyone was out of the hallway, I turned to Edward. _I hope you realize how fortunate you are_ , I told him silently. _I, for one, cannot understand the pardon you are receiving. I just hope you have the sense to correct your error in the time allotted to you._ He just stared back at me with unbridled hatred, holding his human tightly against his side. I supposed that for the rest of eternity, he would see me as the villain who had turned him in. _I was only doing my duty_ , I thought angrily. _But I suppose you don't understand what that means, do you?_

He just clenched his jaw, the faintest hint of a growl vibrating deep inside of him. "Do not leave before dark," I warned him. _And don't test Aro's kindness, Edward. We'll know if you try to leave before then._ I glanced meaningfully up at the security camera perched near the ceiling.

He nodded, but stiffened again as he observed me turning my focus to Alice's mind. I couldn't help but feel smug as he watched me burn her essence into my eternal memory. Edward obviously hadn't wanted his "sister" to come to the attention of the Volturi, but he had practically brought her here himself. And now, she would never be able to hide from me again. Not that Aro would ever force anyone to join the Guard against their will, but I took some professional satisfaction in the knowledge that I was the key to Aro having future access to Alice and Edward… if not their human pet. I made one last futile attempt at the human girl's mind and reentered the hallway, pulling the door back onto its seal behind me.

I hurried back toward the Dining Room, Edward's foolishness forgotten as my venom began to flow in earnest. The screams were quickly disappearing, and I anxiously hoped Heidi had kept her word. I flew through the stone antechamber and into the Dining Room, taking my cloak off as I entered.

But to my dismay, there were no humans left alive. A few of my comrades were still kneeling over their last prey, but most were already standing upright with bright red eyes, and refastening their cloaks. Santiago and Felix were tossing the corpses into a pile over the drain, preparing them for disposal. Jane and Alec were rooting through the pockets and purses of the dead. My throat burned hotter as Afton shot me one of his smirks. But for once, he was not the one I wanted to tear apart.

"Heidi," I growled, stalking towards her. "I _told_ you-"

"Peace, Demetri," Aro said, his ruby eyes sparkling as he approached me. "I told Heidi not to trouble herself on your account."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. Withholding blood was one of Caius' favorite punishments, but I could not imagine Aro doing such a thing. And he had been so pleased with me earlier! What could I have done wrong to deserve this?! It was terrible to imagine waiting another week to feed- but it was far more painful to think that I had failed my Master, that I had hurt him so badly that he felt the need to do this. I shoved my hand forward, anxious to understand his sudden disfavor. He took it.

_What have I done, Master?_ _Was it my delay in the alley?_ _I assure you, I was only trying to keep the humans' attention from-_

Aro laughed, releasing my hand. "You misunderstand me, old friend! I am not upset with you. No, in fact, I have never been so… _relieved_ to have you in my service!" His eyes darted to the door, where he had watched our strange visitors depart only minutes ago. "And so you will not be feeding with us today, Demetri. I have a special reward for you."

The buzz of conversation in the room ceased as all eyes fell on me, and I stood taller as I waited, unbreathing. "The internet is a marvelous thing!" Aro laughed. "While you and Felix were out watching Edward this morning, I found what I needed to ensure that your waitress does, indeed, live far enough away. And she even has two roommates! You'll need to use the car, of course, and I know I can trust you to clean up after yourself. I have her address... but you don't want it, do you?" He smiled knowingly.

I grinned, my throat aching in anticipation. "No, Master, I don't. Your generosity is, is-"

Aro waved his hand. "Think nothing of it. You have been with us long enough to know that I delight in indulging my children now and then." He waved his hand again, this time toward the door.

I bowed deeply, and was unable to hold back a superior smirk as I tossed my cloak to Felix. He needed one, after all. He bared his teeth at me and a jealous growl rumbled in his chest. Afton was _livid_. I spun on my heel and flew out of the castle, eager to begin the hunt. Aro knew me so well! Feeding alone was a generous reward, and a rare one- but _this_! My Master had given me the greatest reward of all: a chance to stretch my gift, to use it for my own ends at my own leisure. I drove straight to the café: the hunt would begin there.

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.

.

I didn't even slow down as I drove by the café; as I had hoped, she wasn't there. I opened my mind then, finding her trail instantly. I would have preferred to hunt on foot, but the sun was bright. No matter; this wasn't the sort of hunt where I needed my nose. I followed her trail out of town, and through the green country outside Montaione. I slowed down as I entered the town, winding through the streets as my mind resonated with her growing proximity. She led me on a delightful chase. Her mental trail crossed itself more than once, and I even had to backtrack a few times as I stalked her path without the help of her scent. She had stopped today at a produce stand, at the local post office, and at a gas station. But she could not elude me. I finally parked next to an average-looking apartment building, glancing up at the sky before cracking open the door. I caught a whiff of her scent, but it was too sunny to get out yet. I glanced up at the building through the windshield, feeling her presence right in front of me. My gift was thrumming with success now, and my throat was a wasteland. At least there was a promising cloud floating on the horizon: fifteen minutes, judging by the wind.

While I waited, I reflected on the events of the past day and night. I was, honestly, at a loss to see why Aro hadn't killed the girl Bella. She was undeniably dangerous, with her knowledge of our world... doubly so, with her immunity to my gift, and to Aro's. Wasn't it our job to protect our world from liabilities like this? Wasn't that the whole reason that the Guard existed? Wasn't it important for vampires everywhere to fear punishment enough to deter crimes like the one Edward had committed? Was it wise for us to be showing weakness like this?

 _Not weakness_ , I chided myself. _Mercy._ _Reprieve._

It was not my place to question the judgments of the Three. And although Caius had, at first, pushed for execution, it was Aro who had stayed his hand. This had been Aro's choice then- and I couldn't question my Master. I literally couldn't form the thought in my mind. He had his reasons, and they were no doubt too great for me to understand. I was happy for him, at least: it seemed that Alice had managed to offer some kind of evidence – through her gift, I assumed- that the human would be turned. Aro had clearly been hoping for _anything_ that would give him the chance to spare the defendants. He had said that he liked happy endings, and it appeared that he had found a way to make one. At least he had taken precautions: he had not protested when Caius threatened to visit the Cullens, and make sure the girl had been turned. A wise plan.

I reflected, as well, on the choices young Edward had made. I didn't understand a single one of them. I supposed he had been trained by Carlisle to feed on animals in the beginning, but I could not understand why he still continued on that path, now that he had sampled both types of blood. And to come upon one's singer, and not feed… but he had done more than that. He had fallen in _love_ with her! It was the most absurd idea I had ever heard, and I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes.

I knew that some vampires – Felix, for one- had a liking for human females that I considered distasteful. At least those types of dalliances always ran through to their natural conclusion! But perhaps I was being unfair. Aro himself, after all, had found his mate in the human world. But he had taken the obvious path, once he had found a suitable girl: he had turned her. What was Edward thinking, hovering in this impossible – not to mention illegal- middle ground? The girl was going to die one way or the other- whether by his own thirst, or by execution at Caius' hand, or by old age. And she obviously wanted to be turned, like Sulpicia had. What was he waiting for?

But the choice that truly baffled me was his refusal to join the Guard. I supposed, in retrospect, that I could understand his reluctance to come with me back in '26. He had been young, naïve. And he had mentioned that Jane and I were the first normal vampires he had ever met… so I supposed that he had been afraid of the unknown, reluctant to leave his creator's side. I could understand that. I, too, had been reluctant to leave my creator at first. I, too, had declined the invitation, determined to stay loyal to Amun. Loyal! As if that word had any meaning apart from the purpose, the meaning my life held now! But it had only taken a few minutes for me to see that I was on the wrong path; Aro just shone too brightly for me to follow anyone else. It was the best decision I had ever made in my life. I suppose Edward couldn't be blamed for staying with Carlisle, when Aro himself was not present to inspire his new allegiance.

But now! He had been right in Aro's presence today, and _still_ he had refused! And not just refused, but had made it abundantly clear how distasteful the idea was. Last night was understandable; he had been deep in his grief, and could not bear remaining on the earth without his mate. But what had stopped him today, once he knew the girl was alive? What about my Master could possibly preclude Edward's loyalty? There was nothing. The only possible explanation was that the animal diet must have rotted his mind. His failure to feed properly was blunting the expanded intellect that our kind were marked with. He was thinking like a human, and a stupid one at that.

I only hoped that he would not waste any time in turning the girl. It was unlikely that Aro himself would accompany Caius, when the visit was made. If Edward had not fulfilled the law by then, Caius would not be merciful- I knew he would not. It was a miracle that Aro had convinced his brother to withhold judgment _this_ time. And as pitiful as Edward Cullen was, I didn't want to see him die. Because right or wrong, his little romance was a thing of beauty. It certainly didn't make any sense, but that only added to the mystery. And I supposed, if one wanted to think like a human, that his lifestyle was peaceable, moral. It might even be said that he was noble- having tasted human blood, and yet still choosing to eschew "murder", as he no doubt saw it. And I supposed his stubborn loyalty to his eccentric creator was admirable, in its own way. I just hoped, for his sake, that he really did get his happy ending.

But there was no more time for reflection- the cloud had arrived, and I slipped out of the car. I entered the building, looking around to make sure there were no surveillance devices. The waitress' scent was thicker up the stairs, and so was her mental trail. I silently ascended to the third floor and down the hall, where her scent ended abruptly at a door labeled "317". I checked again for surveillance equipment, and I knocked on the door.

There was music coming from inside, and I recognized the voice that abruptly ceased its off-key singing upon hearing my knock. There were footsteps, and the door opened a crack: it was her. She gave a little gasp and opened the door as wide as the little chain allowed, blushing.

Delicious.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, staring up into my eyes, "I know we've met, but I can't quite… oh, the café! Last night!"

I switched my thinking to Italian. "Yes," I murmured. "It was last night. Forgive me… it's just that I haven't been able to think of anything except you, since then. I had to see you again. My name is Demetri." I leaned closer, letting my breath waft over her face.

"Demetri," she echoed weakly. "I'm Bianca."

"Bianca," I breathed. "What a _beautiful_ name." I inhaled her scent again, relishing the burn as it crept down my throat. "Aren't you going to invite me in, Bianca?"

She hesitated then, and the door began to close again. I leaned forward, piercing her eyes with my own. And then I smiled, the "trust me" kind. She swallowed, and her fingers scrambled to undo the chain. I slipped inside, sniffing the air and smiling genuinely: she was alone. I was thirsty enough for three, but one at a time was more enjoyable anyway.

As I turned to face her again, my eyes swept over the contents of the apartment. Bianca and her roommates must be college students, like I had thought; there were textbooks everywhere, and a red backpack lay ready by the door where Bianca was still standing. Her black apron was draped over the backpack in readiness for her shift at the café tonight. I was especially pleased to note that the small kitchen was equipped with an ancient-looking gas stove. An easy cleanup, then: after I had fed on all three of them, I would simulate a gas leak and burn the whole place out.

"Ah, Bianca," I sighed in satisfaction, smiling down at her. She blushed again, and my thirst sang in response. So accommodating.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked shyly, tucking a black curl behind one ear. She turned toward a dilapidated liquor cabinet.

"I thought you'd never ask."

As she busied herself with the drinks, I took one last look around her habitat. The textbooks were strewn about in three distinct piles, and the pile with Bianca's scent indicated that she was studying art history. There was a laptop perched on the couch, its screen glowing with some half-written term paper. There was a half-empty bowl of instant noodles on the coffee table, and a half-drunk coffee next to it.

A half-finished life. A life about to end, at my hand. No doubt someone like Edward Cullen would see this as a tragedy, or perhaps even an opportunity: a chance for a vampire to rise above his nature and allow this intelligent, promising human to continue her half-finished life. One might even wonder what achievements this girl might make in the future, were she to continue living. Or her children, or her grandchildren. An entire genealogy of possibilities, in my hands. A chance for redemption, to borrow a phrase from a young, golden-eyed idealist who had visited Volterra in the eighteenth century. What was it Carlisle had said, all those years ago?

_This living death need not be a death sentence to our mortal neighbors. We have ascended beyond their species, Aro, as you say._ _But does not this great power give us great responsibility?_ _I, too, thirst for their blood._ _But I do not consume it, for it is not mine to consume._ _Rather, I will take this frozen immortality to spend unlimited time in the practice of mercy, of kindness … and of healing, if I can manage it._ _It gives me happiness… and, yes, relief from the guilty burden of the darkness within me._ _If I can save lives, instead of take them- as I confess I desire to do- then perhaps I can reclaim some portion of my lost humanity._ _Perhaps I can prove myself still worthy, through this thirsty atonement, to call myself a man._ _I believe that each of us has this chance for redemption, for goodness._ _And I hope – no, I believe- that someday, I will not be alone in my efforts._

Noble words. But I was not Carlisle Cullen, and I most _certainly_ was not Edward Cullen. These men led small lives- faithful to their own ideals, perhaps, but of no account to the greater vampire world. I was leading a life that held a far greater purpose, and reaped far greater rewards. Reclaiming my so-called humanity held no attraction for me- not when I was already at the center of civilization, a favorite servant of the greatest man who had ever ruled our kind. And on days like this, when Aro looked upon me with tender approval and thanks, I knew that I was even more than that. I was his trusted colleague, his friend… his son, if that was not too bold. I didn't need this reward to remind me that I was favored. But Aro had seen fit to give me this gift, and I would accept it with gratitude- not with disloyal consideration of the eccentricities of the Cullens. How could I offer him any less? He deserved my devotion, not my questions.

Bianca was blushing again – I supposed I had been staring at her during my ruminations. My throat flamed in response, and I smiled at her one last time as she handed me a tiny glass of alcohol. It would come in handy later, when I started the fire. She was so thoughtful. And even though I would end her half-finished life, I would give her a gift that a rogue like Felix would never have given her.

"Thank you for the drink, Bianca."

I killed her with a single sweep of my hand. As I bit and drowned myself in the paradise of her blood, one final thought swept through my evaporating consciousness: Edward Cullen was a fool in more ways than one.


	6. True Colors

**This chapter contains direct quotes from New Moon, Chapter 22. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. And some credit must also be given to Universal Pictures... I'll be very proud if anyone can guess which film gets quoted here!**

**Thank you to whilewewereyetsinners, and all others who helped me out with this one! Without further ado, get ready to feel sorry for our buddy Demetri...**

* * *

**Aro POV**

As soon as Demetri left to claim his reward, I turned to Marcus and Caius.

"I must take my leave, brothers. I have a great deal of work to do today." They nodded, both catching my eye meaningfully – we would all be doing our best to occupy our minds until nightfall. I moved toward Heidi, who was just gathering together all of the wallets from the pile of valuables that Jane and Alec had removed from our prey. This was one of her regular duties, but I needed something to do.

"Allow me the pleasure, Heidi," I said, holding out my hand. She looked at me curiously, but handed me the bag. Our fingers touched as I took it, and I closed my eyes briefly as I took in her thoughts; it had been nearly seven months since I had taken her hand. In a matter of milliseconds, I raced through her memories of the intervening time. There was not much of interest, save a growing attraction to one of the newest Guards: a brute like Felix whom I had changed twenty years ago. He was, without a doubt, one of the stupidest vampires I had ever created. He was already slated for elimination, as soon as Caius managed to… but I should think about that later. Heidi was watching me carefully, wondering what I thought of her latest love interest.

"I couldn't be happier, my dear," I assured her. She dropped her eyes and smiled; I was sure she would be blushing, if she had the chance. I nodded my dismissal and she disappeared, no doubt to find her Guard. I shook my head, careful to keep my thoughts indulgent.

"Aro, what are you doing? Isn't that Heidi's responsibility?" I turned to find Sulpicia at my side, and I melted anew at the sight of her. She was wearing a white summer dress in raw silk, her hair elegantly swept up for feeding, and her eyes a sparkling crimson. She was magnificent, every inch a queen. I took her hand, pressing my lips against it.

"Heidi has another matter to attend to, my love. And I'm afraid I have quite a bit of work to do, as well. Why don't you return to your rooms?"

Her beautiful lips frowned slightly, her eyes searching mine. We usually spent the day together after feeding, but that would not do today. My lovely wife was quite capable of distracting me, but not to the level I needed at the moment. Before she could question me, I gently pulled her back towards the diminishing crowd.

"Corin, Sulpicia is ready to retire. You will attend her." Corin nodded, and they left together. Over in another corner of the room, Caius and Athenodora were having a similar conversation. I was careful not to look at, or think about Marcus at all. This was no time to be thinking about _his_ condition.

I carried the bag out to my own chambers, emptying the wallets out onto my desk. I turned on the news, as well as an audiobook read in Swahili, as well as a CD of Mozart's symphonies. I sat down, breathing deeply and committing every corner of my mind to these stimuli before beginning my task.

This was the real reason I had touched Heidi's hand today: so that I could see how she usually did this, and so I could learn what I needed about each of our prey to complete the task. Heidi worked tirelessly to ensure that our prey knew as little as possible about their destination, so that they could not be traced. Today's catch was the annual exception, however. They had known that they were going to tour a castle that, according to local legend, had once been infested with vampires. Each person had been told a different city, at least, many of which were in other countries. I knew from Heidi's mind not only where each human was from, but all sorts of details about their personal lives.

I hacked into the databases of various shops and venues in their local towns, fabricating transactions supposedly made today by their credit cards. The finished product made it appear that these humans had been in all sorts of different countries in the hours preceding their disappearances. Just for good measure, I even created a few transactions taking place tomorrow. I then traced back each human's itinerary, deleting the electronic trail of their trek to Italy. My final task was to sweep through everyone's personal email and social media sites, deleting the records of their contact with Heidi, and any mention of their upcoming trip.

All this time I was also monitoring the video feed coming from the security cameras, particularly the one by Gianna's desk. Bella had drifted into a half-sleep while they waited, and Alice was spending a good deal of time staring at Edward. No doubt she was communicating silently, updating him on all that had passed during his absence – both at the Cullen residence and back in Forks, Washington. I was careful, though, to also keep my mind on all the other stimuli in my office.

When I was finished the cleanup, I destroyed the wallets and their contents, after making a few discreet deposits into our own accounts. Then I sat back with a book that had been found in one of our younger prey's backpack, while watching the local news and continuing to monitor Alice and Edward. It was just so _convenient_ , the way they were able to share their thoughts and visions… but I would think about that later.

One item on the news caught my eye: a new zoning official had been appointed for Volterra. I made a mental note to speak with Chelsea later about it. She was our liaison to the local authorities, and she would need to meet the new official and bind his loyalty to herself. She would instruct him to consult her before making any decisions that might affect our little establishment. We had this arrangement with several government employees, and it had never failed us.

As soon as the sun had set, I called for Alec to attend me. He appeared at my door in four seconds.

"Master?"

"You may dismiss the Americans, Alec. Ask them not to linger in the city."

"Yes, Master." He was gone. I watched on the screen, and he soon appeared in the lobby.

"You're free to leave now," he told Edward warmly. "We ask that you don't linger in the city."

"That won't be a problem," Edward replied coldly.

I smiled warmly at the screen. _Farewell, young Edward_ , I thought. _It has been a pleasure. I wish you all the happiness in the world, you and your lovely Bella. Just remember your promise._

His eyes flicked up to the camera, his expression inscrutable. I sighed wistfully, feeling powerless. _I_ _do hope we meet again someday. And give my best to Carlisle, please._

He nodded slightly, but his jaw seemed that it would break if it were clenched any harder. He helped Bella to her feet. Gianna gave them directions to the other lobby, and they left. I turned my attention back to my new book for the next hour, then went out in search of my brothers. They were already waiting for me in the Dining Room, which had already been cleaned up. Felix was in attendance.

"They're gone," he reported.

"Thank you, Felix," I said. "We'll call you if we need anything." He bowed and went out, closing the doors.

I finally relaxed my mind, letting the events of the day rush back into my conscious thought. It had been surprisingly _difficult_ to keep my mind under control; I was the only one in Volterra who had never needed to do so. The challenge had been a delightful diversion. But now that I was able to think freely, the possibilities swirled around my brain in a vortex of color. I laughed out loud as I crossed the room in a flash, settling into my throne.

"I'm glad one of us finds this amusing," Caius snapped. "You've just made a _complete_ mockery of our authority."

"Oh, Caius, do cheer up. This is the most exciting day we've had in centuries! Wouldn't you agree, Marcus?"

"Unequivocally."

"And on your holiday, no less! You've really outdone yourself this time, brother."

Marcus merely sighed, looking up at the ceiling; he had already used up his conversational energy for the day. I suspected he had had much less trouble than Caius and I, keeping his thoughts under control today. He offered me his hand frequently, so that he didn't have to speak too often, and I was always impressed with how little he bothered to think about _anything_. It really was quite an achievement, considering his species.

"Now," I said grandly. "We have much to discuss. Marcus, have you told our brother of your observation earlier?" He shook his head. "It's remarkable, Caius," I continued. "The bond between Bella and Edward is quite unbreakable, as you might expect. And so complex, considering their difference in species, and their recent separation. But the bond between Edward and _Alice_ … oh, you explain it, Marcus! I wouldn't do it justice."

Marcus sighed dramatically, but his eyes glinted with a hint of interest; it wasn't often he got to use his gift anymore… at least not with strangers. "It's far stronger than I anticipated," he told Caius. "Far stronger, in fact, than any bond I've ever seen outside a mated pair. Their love for each other runs very deep. So does their loyalty to one another. " He paused. "It's possible that Chelsea would not be able to break it."

Caius sat up straighter. "Didn't she try?"

"She's not a fool," I said. "She knew he was watching her mind like a hawk. She did try, very briefly, to bind Edward to us. And he did feel the pull, but you know Chelsea cannot compel a vampire as long as his mate is opposed."

"She was unable to access Bella at all," Marcus added. "But that was to be expected."

"Demetri was unsuccessful, as well," I said happily. "Isn't it _marvelous_?"

"I fail to see why you're so enraptured with her," Caius scoffed. "She's just a shield- and only for herself."

"Ah, brother, you're not thinking fourth-dimensionally! If she's this powerful as a human, just imagine the possibilities when she is one of us!"

" _If_ she becomes one of us," Marcus murmured.

"She will," Caius said darkly. "One way or another, her heart will stop beating by the time this year is out. I'll see to _that_."

"You're always too impatient, brother," I complained.

"And you're too crafty," he said with an admiring smile. "Are you going to enlighten us as to the reason for your absurd indulgence today?"

I crossed one leg over the other, leaning back into the wood of my throne as I considered what to say. I certainly wasn't going to tell my brothers everything, at least not yet. I was terribly excited about the werewolves-if that was even what they were- but this was no time for Caius to go on one of his little rampages. And he would probably react just as violently if I told him that Carlisle had brought a veteran of the Southern Wars into his coven- and not just _any_ veteran! Jasper was, no doubt, the legendary Immortal Terror who had suddenly vanished during World War II. His desertion had destabilized the balance of power in Mexico and Central America, and countless human deaths had resulted – not to mention one of Caius' purging expeditions. I had always wondered if the Terror actually existed, or was just a rumor circulated by the Mexican Coven. How delightful, to learn he was real! His talent was so versatile- and his power in battle was already proven. And then there was Zafrina! And Siobhan, if Carlisle's theory was correct. And to learn that Victoria was still alive! I could fill _volumes_ with the information I had gathered today.

"Well? Caius asked, growing annoyed. "The plan? Or were you just feeling magnanimous today? Because if that's the case-"

"Dear brother," I sighed. "I'm _always_ the magnanimous one, remember? It's your role to be the enforcer, the bad cop, as it were."

"Then why didn't you let me do my job?" he hissed. "Edward Cullen is a criminal, and that girl is a liability. You said last night that they've been separated for months already. Even if he keeps his word, how do we know she hasn't already betrayed our secret during those months?"

"She wouldn't do that," Marcus said confidently. "Her loyalty to him is absolute."

"I _am_ rather jealous of you, Marcus," I said with a pout. "You appear to be the only one whose gift works on young Bella."

The tiniest hint of a smirk twitched at Marcus' lips, and then it was gone. He was being downright giddy today!

"Alice, also," Caius reminded me.

"Yes, yes. That's different, of course," I said thoughtfully. _And Jasper's._ "I wonder if Corin would be an exception as well," I added.

"Who cares? The point is, you let them waltz out of here without even a slap on the wrist. Other vampires are going to hear about this, Aro. They'll wonder if we're starting to lose control, if we're starting to weaken. You need to think about how our judgments appear to the others of our kind."

"I _am_ thinking of our appearances, Caius," I said with equal impatience. "That's why I let them go… for now. How do you think it would appear if the Americans had been added to our ranks today, or executed? Carlisle is a powerful man, though he seems not to know it. He has friends scattered across the globe, some of whom would make dangerous enemies. And his coven is the most talented force in our world, second only to our own. I saw no evidence in young Edward's thoughts that his creator is entertaining any seditious ideas, but that could change if he were to feel threatened."

Caius shot to his feet, his eyes burning. "All the more reason not to return Edward and Alice to him! We could have cut his power by more than half today! We had them _here_! We had every reason to exact justice. Carlisle knows the law, and he would have understood how lucky he was not to have been executed, along with his son. The entire coven is guilty of the girl's knowledge!"

"I suppose you would like to execute them all, brother?" Marcus asked him, rolling his eyes at me tiredly.

"Don't be absurd," Caius spat. "I, too, see the value of keeping Edward and Alice alive for our own purposes. If any action is to be taken, it should be against Carlisle himself. He should be held responsible for his creations, and the crimes they commit. The coven could be scattered, and then we could-"

"I'm not so sure of that," Marcus interrupted. "If the bond between Edward and Alice- who are not even related by venom- was any indication, Chelsea might not be able to break _any_ of their bonds. The entire coven _would_ have to be executed, to prevent repercussions."

"And as I've said," I put in, "Carlisle has many friends. Not all vampires have complete faith in our manifest destiny; we must maintain the appearance of fair justice. The genocide or acquisition of an entire venomline, without provocation, is an action I do not believe we can afford to take. It's one thing to destroy a coven of nobodies, but this is completely different."

"And as _I've_ said," Caius growled, "it's equally unwise to be seen doling out pardons such as this. Half of our power comes from our reputation, brother. And as you say, the Cullens are well connected; the rumors will spread quickly. If you leave this unresolved, you're inviting all sorts of trouble. We still have enemies, and more will arise if we are seen to be weakening in any way. The Guard can't be everywhere at once."

I let out a sigh, tapping my fingers on the arm of the throne; he was right.

"And _if_ that sort of situation were to happen," Caius continued, "We need Alice to be here, not out playing human with Carlisle Cullen. And Bella, if her shield turns out to be useful. I know you enjoy playing the benevolent emperor, brother, but when talents like that come along, you take them. We didn't conquer the world just so we could ask politely."

"I didn't say we would _never_ acquire them," I protested. "I'm just saying that we need to do so strategically. You will have your visit, Caius, though I think you should wait a bit. If the Cullens defy us again, we will have a better excuse to take punitive action. When we do step in, I want our right to do so to be undisputed."

"Wait? How Long?"

"Long enough for them to dig themselves in deeper. For the evidence against them to build."

Caius frowned, and even Marcus's eyes lit again with interest. I waited for their curiosity to grow, while I decided how much to tell them. As it stood now, exterminating Carlisle and his coven was the only way that I was ever going to acquire Edward and Alice. _And_ Bella. And I supposed Jasper would have to be "found repentant" as well, otherwise Alice would be useless. Bringing four new Guards in at once was a major operation, and would require no small amount of tact, if we didn't want to appear gluttonous. If there was any way to add either of the pairs before the other, I would find it.

I needed time to think, and I also wanted to give the Cullens time to decide how they were going to deal with the werewolves. It could be argued that allowing them to survive back in the thirties was a crime… though perhaps not one worthy of execution. Still, if I gave them enough time to repeat the crime again, it could be added to the current case against them. And every day that Edward delayed was a strike against him- also in our favor. It would help if the Cullens would commit an even larger crime. But they would be careful, now that they knew they were being monitored. And the biggest obstacle was also my greatest goal: Alice. _Alice._ I sighed again in wonder, dizzy with the possibilities.

"Meaning?" Caius finally asked.

"Meaning I don't think Edward is going to change young Bella anytime soon. Let him compound his crime for a while. The more he tears down his own image, the better ours will fare."

His eyes narrowed. "Define 'a while'."

"I can't."

A strange sound filled the room- a single burst of beautiful, angelic song. I jerked in my throne, my eyes wide.

"Marcus, did you just _laugh_?"

He sniffed, embarrassed by his outburst. "Forgive me. It's just that I don't believe I've ever heard you utter the words 'I can't' before."

I closed my eyes, searching the millennia. "You know, I believe you're _right_! This is truly a remarkable day, Saint Marcus!" I laughed aloud in satisfaction, filling the room with my own music. Marcus did not join me again, however. Caius was looking murderous.

"I don't have time for games," he hissed. "Surely you have more to your plan than waiting 'a while'."

My smile faded instantly; this was no laughing matter. "Caius, planning is the one thing we _cannot_ do. It is imperative that we make no firm decisions on the matter, until the opportunity presents itself."

Caius's shoulders drooped a little; he finally understood. "Alice."

"Yes, Alice," I sighed. "Her talent is so interesting. And what a conundrum for us, brothers! Here is the greatest prize we have ever stumbled upon, and yet her very talent thwarts us from acquiring it!"

"We will never move against them, then," Marcus said, looking bored. He probably didn't care either way.

I sank deeper into the folds of my cloak, rubbing my chin in thought. "Mmmm… I didn't say that, either. I said _until the opportunity presents itself_. Or… until we can be assured of victory. Until Edward has truly waited too long, or one of them does something even more horrid. Until we can be assured that there will be no unpleasant repercussions in our reputation."

Caius snorted. "Entirely too passive."

I sighed again. "Yes, it is rather irksome, isn't it? If we take no action, we run the risk of appearing weak. If we persecute the Cullens, we run the risk of appearing too power-hungry. If only there was a way to affect the public opinion on our own terms…" I started tapping on the arm of my throne again, lost in thought.

"We've done it before."

My fingers stilled. "What was that, Marcus?"

Marcus sighed, tiring of speech again. He gave me his hand, and mentally replayed one of our earliest achievements: creating vampires specifically for the purpose of indoctrinating them and releasing them into the world. Their only instructions: be fruitful and multiply… and tell everyone you meet how wonderful the Volturi are. How powerful, how relevant… how worthy to rule.

"An interesting idea, Marcus, if a little excessive. But may I take it in a new direction? I propose that when we do strike…" I frowned, thinking of Alice. If she was watching my future closely today, it was possible that she was still able to hear me. "I propose that if the time does come for us to take action, that we do so in public."

Caius sucked in his breath. "In front of _humans_?! Aro-"

"Don't be an idiot, Caius! I meant the vampire public. We simply bring the public opinion with us. We gather witnesses, explain the situation ahead of time-"

"All of which Alice will see," Caius said impatiently. "It would take too long to assemble. They'll either gather their own allies in self-defense, or they'll run."

"To the first, Caius, our witnesses will double our strength. To the second, we have Demetri."

Caius snorted his disapproval. "Ah, yes, the faithful hound. He's hardly one to lead a search for the disloyal, don't you think?"

"He is _now_ ," I said smugly. "I had Chelsea work her magic last night. Couldn't you tell?"

"How could I miss it? It's disgusting, the way he fawns over you when she has to refresh him like that. I normally don't appreciate your little plots to set the Guards against each other, but I was relieved when you sent him off on that silly reward today."

I laughed, remembering Demetri's puppy-like devotion. He always made such a _fool_ of himself in the beginning. "It was the only way to get him away from me, Caius," I admitted freely. "He wouldn't have been able to tear himself away, if I didn't give him something to do. Besides, Afton was due to be put in his place again. And if young Edward overheard me kindly rewarding a Guard for his exemplary service, so much the better."

"He'll be impossible after this," Caius complained. "Couldn't Chelsea have been a little more subtle?"

"Demetri believes that Chelsea is an offensive empath, like Corin," I answered. "He knows that she did something last night, but only that he feels more content now. And that the last time he noticed her doing it was back in the 1980s."

"He shouldn't know anything at _all_ ," Caius growled. "She should have been more discreet."

"She could have been, if you had listened to me earlier," Marcus said. "I told you two years ago that he needed to be bound again. Why do you torment him like this?"

"I can't help it! You know how he fascinates me. His loyalty is like... like… it's a _phenomenon_ , Marcus. A thousand years with us, and he still hasn't managed to muster _any_ loyalty of his own free will. And you know I can't resist a good experiment. I like to let him go just a little too long, to see what happens."

Marcus rolled his eyes, but Caius snickered; he appreciated all forms of cruelty. "Did he get the claustrophobia again this time?" he asked. I nodded, grinning, and his snicker turned into a sadistic laugh. It _was_ rather funny.

"It's a shame you can't order Chelsea to bed him anymore," he said cheekily. "We didn't have this sort of trouble with him back then, when he was getting constant doses of her gift."

"Yes, that is a shame," I sighed. "That did backfire rather badly, didn't it? They still avoid each other like the plague. You would think he would get over it, after a few centuries. What a sentimental idiot."

"Beware, brother," Marcus said quietly.

"Oh, _now_ what?" I moaned. Marcus was a regular chatterbox today. I had forgotten how tiresome he could be.

"Chelsea's power is transient, and she's had to bind him more and more often over the centuries. His resistance is increasing."

"That isn't possible," Caius scoffed.

"It is," Marcus said with conviction. "Demetri is the only Guard whose loyalty is completely artificial. It always has been, and it always will be. No amount of compulsion can erase an independent spirit- it can only subdue it for a time. And those times are growing shorter with each dose. Your little games aren't helping, Aro. Demetri has a perfect memory, like all of us. Even after he has been rebound, he's going to remember the thoughts he had while he was partially out of the fog."

"I suppose you're right," I sighed. "We'd better have Chelsea start spending more time with him."

Marcus shook his head. "It's a losing battle. Ever since Carlisle was here in the eighteenth century, Demetri's subconscious has been fighting the bond with increasing tenacity. Even with Chelsea's intervention last night, I noticed a slight deterioration today, after…" He paused, closing his eyes in concentration.

"What?"

"He's back."

Marcus was no tracker. But when two people with whom he was familiar came within proximity of each other, he was able to sense their bond, a growing aura of connection that brightened as the two moved closer together. If he could see Demetri's bonds, that meant he was in the building; we needed to be more careful with our conversation. Of course, if I had _Edward_ at my side, I would have had an even earlier warning.

"Felix!" I called. "Bring Demetri to us immediately."

Felix opened the door. "He is still out, Master."

"No, he just arrived. Bring him."

Felix bowed slightly and vanished, reappearing in two seconds with the Guard in question. I glanced at Marcus, who was frowning slightly. His fingers brushed my hand. _It's already deteriorated further, since this morning._

"Demetri!" I cried joyfully, extending my hand. "I trust you enjoyed your little vacation?"

He was in my face in a flash, his knees trembling with the desire to kneel at my feet. Caius rolled his eyes and I held my other hand to my lips, trying not to laugh. Surely Marcus was exaggerating!

"I did, Master," Demetri said, and gave me his hand. Now I had to fight to keep my smile plastered on as I received the evidence of Marcus' warning. Demetri had, indeed, been entertaining thoughts this afternoon that might lead in a dangerous direction. It was remarkable, considering he had just been rebound.

"I see you took great care in covering your tracks tonight," I praised him. "Well done."

"Thank you, Master," he murmured, his ruby eyes searching my own, hungry for approval. "And I am humbled by this gift. If there is anything I can do to show my gratitude, anything at all…"

"You can take a shower," Caius interrupted rudely. "You stink of propane and smoke."

Demetri's smile faded. "Of course, Master," he said quietly. His eyes darted back to mine, waiting for dismissal.

"Don't let us keep you," I said kindly. "And I believe you also are in need of a new cloak, my old friend."

Demetri started in shock, his hands brushing the empty air as his back. "My… my apologies," he stammered. "I did not intend to appear before you so. I…" He would have blushed, if he could; as it was, he was doing an admirable impression of a dog who had just been kicked.

"Don't let it trouble you, my boy," I sighed, growing impatient. "Just go get a new one, as soon as you're cleaned up."

He bowed deeply and disappeared. As soon as the door closed, Caius snorted in disgust, but I waited another moment to speak. "I see what you mean, Marcus," I said gravely. "I should never have let him near the Americans today."

"His bond is already weakening?" Caius asked incredulously. "But you saw how he was falling all over you!"

"His thoughts are already wandering too much," I said sadly. "Far too much."

"Imagine how much trouble we're going to have, if you _do_ add any of the Cullens to the Guard," Marcus warned. "Even if their new bond precludes any verbal disloyalty, Demetri will be constantly reminded of their former independence. And I predict that we are going to have a similar problem with Edward- you saw how stubborn and disrespectful he is. Demetri doesn't need any more help to inch toward treason. If his resistance is this strong now…"

"He'll need constant attention from Chelsea," Caius sighed. "And then he'll _always_ be in this moronic puppy-dog phase. You _know_ I hate taking him out when he's like that."

"Or worse," Marcus said darkly. "It's possible he may eventually build up complete resistance, if today is any indication."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration: a mannerism I had picked up from young Edward's memories today. Not only were we between a rock and a hard place in terms of acquiring Edward and Alice; now I had to deal with this.

"I suppose we had better eliminate him," Caius said quietly. "We don't want this to get out of hand."

"We can't," I protested. "At least not until we have found a suitable replacement. Demetri is the greatest tracker this world has ever seen."

"Couldn't Alice be trained to replace him?" Marcus asked. "She could use a person's future to predict their location."

"No, her gift is far too subjective for that. We need a real tracker. I've learned of two new ones through Edward's memories. But one is dead and other is far too weak." It really was too bad the Cullen's had killed James- he might have been worth evaluating.

"I'll start looking for possible candidates," Caius said, an eager gleam in his eye. "And then we'll have a little bonfire, a la Demetri."

"No, let me look in the human world," I decided aloud. "I want to create him myself this time. We'll gather and change a few likely to be gifted- stalkers and private eyes and snipers and such- and see how they turn out. In the meantime, Caius, you'll need to keep Demetri occupied so he doesn't see us working on trackers."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," he answered. "I have a great deal for him to do, anyway. If you want to have these 'witnesses' ready to go on a moment's notice, I'll need to map out where they all are currently."

"Demetri will love that," I agreed. Then I allowed myself an indulgent laugh. " _And_ it'll keep him out of my sight for a while."

"You're welcome," Caius muttered. "I just hope you can find a replacement before too many decades pass. If we're going to keep Demetri freshly bound all the time, he's going to be intolerable."

"Spare me," Marcus sighed.

"This would go a lot faster if you would let me bring Eleazar back in the game, Aro," Caius said hopefully. "We could have him sweep the whole world for potential trackers, and Demetri could be ash sooner than later."

"Perhaps in a while. This is no time for us to take on the appearance of gluttonous dictators. Eleazar's retirement is one of those token examples that I do not care to rescind… at least not until Edward and Alice are safely brought into the fold." Caius huffed his annoyance, but he would not defy me; Chelsea was far subtler with _his_ loyalty, but it kept him under my heel, just barely. "Patience, Caius. I will start searching immediately. I, too, am eager to be rid of the hound. His thoughts are either dangerously independent, or disgustingly sycophantic. I can barely stand to take his hand anymore, and now I have to do it _more_ often. Ugh!"

"I just hope a replacement can be found, period," Caius growled. "We've kept him alive this long because he _is_ the best."

"It may take a few centuries," I admitted. "Though the process will be quite diverting. But we'll find one- or make one, through human breeding, if necessary. And then, my dear brother, I will happily attend your bonfire!"


	7. Crime and Punishment

**This poor neglected story! I didn't mean to leave Demetri (or you lovely readers) hanging for so long. But** **here we are, finally in Breaking Dawn. As usual, this section grew so long that I had to divide it into two chapters. So this one deals with Demetri's flashback of the events in Eclipse, the preparation (not gathering, yet) of witnesses, and the shocking news that Irina brings. The next chapter will cover the gathering of witnesses and the journey to America. The final chapter will cover the confrontation.**

**Many thanks to those who have helped me along with this story, and to you faithful readers!**

* * *

**Early December, 2006**

**Demetri POV**

Caius, Andrei and I moved silently through the rocky emptiness surrounding the town of Magros, Portugal. Our mission: to locate Charles and Makenna, and to inform them that something was coming. Something that might require their attendance, and possibly their assistance.

This was the fourteenth in a series of such trips this year. Some of our targets were nomads like Charles and Makenna, while others were members of the Reserve Guard, vampires who were very occasionally called to serve but were not civilized or necessary enough to reside in Volterra. I had yet to learn what the "something" was, but one thing was certain: these were exciting times. I had not been out so frequently in centuries, felt so filled with purpose. Immortality did have a way of growing dull at times, even here in the center of our society, and it was always a relief when these bursts of excitement came along.

At first I had thought it was something to do with young Edward and his criminal involvement with the human girl. Our trips had begun shortly after he and Alice had taken her back to America. But such a trivial concern did not merit such attention. And then a month later, when Caius and I had returned home from such a trip, I heard screams coming from the lower levels. Not the first halls, which held our living quarters, recreational areas, and such- the tunnels beneath the tunnels, which stood empty except when Aro was conducting his more sensitive experiments. The last time I had heard screams like that was twenty years ago. Andrei had appeared in our ranks as a newborn three days later, wild and undisciplined but ready to begin his new life.

We in the Guard, even those of us blessed with age and gift and the darker cloaks, knew it was not our place to inquire about these experiments. But I could not help my curiosity- I had heard the screaming on three separate occasions now throughout the past few months, even though none of those times had resulted in a new Guard. And I knew for a fact that Heidi had made at least two trips recently that were not on her regular schedule. These were no ordinary transformations, which led me to wonder again what the "something" was that our little trips were about. But my curiosity ended there. My Master carried burdens that none of us understood, some of which were far more ancient than even himself; it was not for one such as I to insert myself in his greater plans. I had full confidence in his brilliance and his strategy to meet whatever might come. I was humbly content to do my part, wielding my gift to keep him connected to his allies and friends scattered around the world.

June had brought its own burst of excitement. Caius was forced to put our itinerary on hold when disturbing news reports from the United States indicated the possibility of a rogue newborn on the loose in Seattle, Washington. All of us arrived at the obvious conclusion: that Edward had finally fulfilled the law, but had soon lost control of his newborn mate. Aro was reluctant to intervene, citing his friendship with Carlisle. He wanted to watch and wait, giving Carlisle time to rein in his newest coven member. After hours of closeted debate between the Three, Caius stormed out and resumed his planned itinerary. I was unneeded for that particular trip, since he was visiting a mated pair who claimed a permanent territory in Switzerland. He took Chelsea and Andrei instead.

But my gift was soon called upon for another purpose. While Caius was still away in Switzerland, the reports out of Seattle worsened exponentially. It quickly became apparent that the situation likely had nothing to do with Edward's human; there were multiple vampires terrorizing the city now. Aro conceded that it was time to act. A small cohort was put together: myself, Jane, Felix, and Santiago. It was rare for Jane and Alec to be separated, but with Caius and two other Guards away Aro preferred to keep Alec's gift at home.

It was a miserable mission, not least because Heidi was out rounding up humans and so we couldn't use the jet. I _detested_ flying commercial, crammed in a tin can with humans I couldn't have, and Felix was in a sour mood because Gianna was dead. Caius had been in a rage when he had left for Switzerland, and Gianna had made the mistake of speaking when his team filed out through her lobby. Felix had been looking forward to Gianna's "retirement" for two years now, and since Caius was the one who had taken her blood instead, he saved his griping for the airplane ride. Jane was out of sorts too, being separated from her twin, despite the fact that _she_ had been put in charge of the mission. As if she deserved such a responsibility! Regardless of how dark her cloak was, everyone knew she wasn't mature enough to handle these things. I hated that girl more every century.

It took little more than a day to ascertain the situation. A ragtag army of newborns had been created, and were barely being restrained from wreaking total havoc on the city of Seattle. Their direct commander was a yearling named Riley, though he didn't seem to be in charge either. He referred to their female creator several times, though the name was never given. We kept our distance as we observed, and then followed Riley when he finally split away from the others. The mystery deepened as my gift identified the creator, miles before we came upon her: Victoria, an old covenmate of Heidi's. She had eluded execution once before, and apparently _this_ was what she had decided to do with her freedom. But the coincidence of the Cullens' proximity was obvious. After a quick call back to Volterra on her cell phone, Jane led us to the house where Victoria and the yearling were meeting.

Interrogation was hardy necessary; Victoria knew what fate awaited her if she did not cooperate. She admitted that the Cullens were her target. We didn't know why she held a grudge against them, and we didn't particularly care. Jane gave Victoria five days to act, or suffer the consequences. We withdrew and waited, keeping in contact with Aro via the cell phone. Our instructions were clear: wait and see what success Victoria would have, and then end her and her creations. If Alice and her mate should survive the massacre, which they almost certainly would, I was to track their route of exit and then call Aro for further instructions. All others, Edward and his human included, were considered expendable.

But Victoria was not successful. We entered the field once the death-fires had been lit, but it was the Cullens who had triumphed. They had not sustained a single casualty; even Edward's human was there, miraculously unhurt. There was a strange odor mingled with the scent of the burning immortal flesh. More interestingly, Carlisle had captured one of the newborns alive. Jane interrogated the girl and we learned that Victoria and her yearling had already been destroyed. Apparently, Victoria's quarrel with the Cullens had been revenge for the death of her mate, whom the Cullens had killed to protect Edward's human. These domestic matters were not our concern, but it was disturbing to see how once again this girl, Bella, had once again caused trouble in our world. Carlisle protested the newborn's execution, but it was carried out. After reminding Edward of his duty regarding the human, we departed.

We were recalled to Volterra immediately. Caius was also just returning from Switzerland, and he was even angrier than before because he had missed the whole thing. And then after Aro and Marcus spoke to him in private, he was _furious_. We had all stayed out of his way for a week after that. Heidi whispered that she had heard him muttering about werewolves, though we knew better than to ask him about it. I didn't see what werewolves could possibly have to do with this situation; perhaps Caius was wishing for the golden years of his rule when his biggest problems were of the animal variety, and more easily dealt with. This political game of waiting and watching, granting undeserved favors to indulge Aro's whims and alliances, was not his style. It proved, once again, why our world was undeniably fortunate to have Aro as its true leader; those whims and alliances, and all other necessary discretions, were the reason that world was not spiraling into chaos. Caius was a strong leader, but without Aro's temperance and wisdom I shuddered to think where we would all be today. Even in his anger, Caius understood these things, and in any case his mood improved somewhat once we resumed our planned trips.

Exciting times, indeed. And so here we were in Portugal, continuing our quest to map out the current location of as many vampires as possible. Europe was nearly done; we would soon be travelling farther afield to visit those nomads in Asia and Africa that I was able to track. This was not the first time we had arranged for witnesses; it was important to remind the vampire world from time to time that the Volturi were an essential component of their society. But never before, at least not in my millennium of tenure, had we cast the net this wide. Whatever was coming, it was big.

"North," I murmured, feeling my gift pull me toward our goal; of course Charles and Makenna were together, as they always would be. Their love story, though a young one, was one of the most romantic examples of what love could be in our world. It was the sort of example that young Edward would do well to emulate before he ran out of time.

There were rumors about Makenna's origin. She had some connection to Renata, though that was also one of the loftier secrets of the Three and thus not my concern. But everyone knew the love story: Makenna had fallen in love with Charles, a human. She yearned to bring him into immortality with her, but being a young vampire, she feared taking his life upon the attempt. And so she withdrew, leaving him safe without her secret, until she was prepared. Only then did she take the ultimate risk and tell him of her true nature, inviting him to join her forever. And, as any sensible person would, he agreed. She successfully completed his transformation and for sixty years now they had lived in happiness together.

I still could not comprehend how one could come to love a human so much, but there it was. It _was_ possible to navigate these dilemmas within the law and with intelligence. It had been done before, by Makenna and Chelsea and Aro himself. Even my own creator, Amun, had felt the harshness of his heart softened by a human girl and changed her to share eternity with him. Kebi had always been a mystery to me, and I had my doubts over whether she had actually _wanted_ to share eternity with Amun, but the point was that these love stories between our two kinds did happen, on occasion, and the happy endings were out there for everyone to see. Why young Edward felt the need to mangle his own love story into a tragedy was incomprehensible. In my opinion, no further evidence was needed of the damaging perverseness of Carlisle's way.

But that was not the matter at hand. We turned North and soon caught the unique blend of Makenna's and Charles' scents, a fresh trail.

"How far?" Caius asked.

"No more than ten miles," I answered. "Provided we cut through the town."

"But their trail goes around that way," Andrei protested, pointing to the empty fields and forests that made up the horizon off to the northwest.

"I don't need their _scent_ trail," I said impatiently. How many times had I explained my gift to him? Andrei was still quite young, but he was unusually dull-witted for a vampire. I didn't think that he was worthy of the cloak, but perhaps time and experience would improve him.

"Yes, let's take the fields," Caius said. "You take the lead, Andrei. Follow the scent trail."

I turned to face him, offended. "But, Master-"

"Didn't ask for your opinion," Caius said gruffly. I swallowed my protest and fell back, letting Andrei take the lead. Perhaps this was an exercise for him; even a simple tracking assignment seemed to require all of his attention.

But once we were farther away from human civilization, I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I turned toward Caius again, to find his eyes hard with warning and a command for silence. He pointed to Andrei's back and swept his finger across his throat. I nearly stumbled in shock, but nodded my readiness. Caius held up one finger, then two, then three.

We attacked together, our formation smooth and perfected by experience. I went straight for Andrei's back, locking his arms at his sides and squeezing hard while Caius swept around to the left and wrenched his head from his shoulders. I began the dismemberment while Caius brought out his torch. We both stepped back and the whole thing was over three seconds after it had begun.

I stared into the purple smoke, keeping my face impassive. Surely this had not been a punishment for Andrei's bluntness regarding the scent trail? That was too severe, even for Caius. Surely the execution had been scheduled by the Three before we had even left Volterra yesterday- which meant that their judgment was not meant for common knowledge.

"What do we tell the others?" I asked.

Caius thought for a moment. "We encountered a rogue newborn as we were tracking Charles and Makenna. There was no breach in human awareness, but he was unreasonably violent and did not accept correction. You and Andrei held him while I lit the fire. Dismemberment was begun, but he broke free and tried to run. Andrei caught him and they struggled briefly. The newborn, in his madness, drove them both into the fire. Andrei had sustained a bite wound on the left side of his throat which gave the fire access to his venom. They were both instantly consumed. Andrei is to be remembered for his valiant effort in the line of duty. It is yet unknown who created the newborn and failed to instruct him, but the matter is under investigation. You will not speak of this in Charles' presence."

I nodded. "Because of his gift."

"Obviously."

"Understood. Should I tell Heidi or will Master Aro want to?"

"Aro, of course," Caius snapped. "You will keep your mouth shut until she has been told, and then you may comfort her in whatever way seems best to you."

I nodded again, wrapping my cloak tighter about me. Heidi would be most unhappy about this; Andrei was certainly not her mate, just the latest in her long line of friendly affairs, but she had been terribly fond of Andrei. She would certainly turn to me in her distress. The gifted tended to stick together, but she and I had been particular friends ever since her induction in the early sixteenth century. Our bond was romantic at times, but only for convenience. Our friendship was genuine, and I truly regretted the loss she would soon feel. I would do my best to console her however she chose.

I could not help, however, but feel a deep sense of pride at Caius' confidence in me tonight… in Aro's. It was no pleasant task to assist in the occasional execution, whether public or private, but to be trusted with these sorts of secrets was high praise indeed. I watched the flames as they quickly shrank down to glowing, stinking embers. _Goodbye, Andrei_ , I thought absently. In truth, he would not be missed. Still, it was always uncomfortable to watch the flames consume one of our own.

I stepped deeper in the woods and retrieved a live tree branch, using it to scatter the embers. I stood immobile, unbreathing until the worst of the stench had lifted away on the breeze. Not so Caius; he always seemed to derive a dark pleasure from the odor of the purple smoke. We waited in silence until the embers gave way to ash, which I scattered as well.

"They will have smelled the smoke," he said abruptly, turning back northward with a flick of his cloak. "Come on."

I closed my eyes briefly, extending my gift toward them. "Yes, they must have," I announced, opening my eyes. "They are moving toward us quickly, though I think they are also avoiding the town."

We met them minutes later. Makenna stiffened slightly when she saw us, and drew slightly ahead of Charles and held her arm up across him in a protective posture. It made for an entertaining picture, considering she was nearly a foot shorter than her mate. Old habits died hard, I supposed.

"We caught the scent of death moments ago," she said, her eyes darting nervously between the two of us. "What's happened?"

"How many days have you been in Portugal?" Caius demanded by way of greeting.

Makenna's eyes grew wider. "We just came up from Africa a few days ago, and we haven't met anyone else here. And I have kept my word- I have never changed another besides Charles, I swear it!"

Caius glared down at her in silence for another few seconds, appearing to mull over her defense. He leaned in, sniffing deeply toward the fearful couple, and I held back a wry smile. Caius' reputation was the greatest weapon in his arsenal. He hardly needed to speak to inspire fear. His vague insinuation would not trigger Charles' lie-detecting gift, yet it was enough to place him and Makenna on the defensive.

"Very well," he said smoothly, standing upright again. Makenna and Charles relaxed somewhat. "What are your travel plans?"

"We were going to hunt in this area for a few months," Charles answered. "Of course, we could move on, if there's any problem…"

"No, you are welcome to stay," Caius said magnanimously. "In fact, we would prefer it, in case we need to contact you in the coming months. There may soon arise a particular situation which will require the attendance of witnesses."

"What sort of situation?" Makenna asked, looking nervous again.

"At this time that information is classified. Can we count on you?"

"Of course," Charles and Makenna blurted out together.

Caius' face rearranged into something resembling a forced smile. "That is very good to hear."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "How is Renata?" Makenna asked.

"She is quite well," Caius said impatiently, then he paused. "If the situation I mentioned does arise, I will send her to meet you. She will explain things in more detail at that time."

Makenna relaxed again. "Thank you. If… there is nothing else?"

We said our goodbyes and set out for home; Heidi was due with our next meal tomorrow. I would have preferred to hunt out here in the open, but since Caius said nothing to that effect I kept my mouth shut. And really, the sooner we got back the better. While I enjoyed the thrill of travelling and employing my gift to serve my masters, I grew uneasy these days being away from home for very long. Whatever the danger was that necessitated these trips, I wanted to be at Aro's side if and when it struck.

Andrei's death was announced upon our return. Aro was careful to appear surprised by the news, but neither he nor anyone else was terribly upset over it. There were a few murmured words between those who had particularly enjoyed or not enjoyed his company, and then everyone went back to their own business. These things happened. Felix and Santiago stared at me briefly with just a hint of skepticism, and then wisely remembered some other task that required their attention. When Heidi came home the next day, we all steered clear of her until Aro took her aside after the feeding was done. Moments later she scurried past us all to her quarters, holding in her grief until she was alone.

"She'll be on to the next one by the end of the month," Felix muttered as he passed me.

"The week," I amended honestly.

He grinning, leaning closer to whisper. "What do you think? Gustav? Zaki?"

I smirked. "Me." Felix chuckled and moved on.

But as Fate would have it, everything changed before the week was out. I was out patrolling the city at midnight with Alec when we scented the very last person I had ever expected to see here in Volterra: Irina.

I was well acquainted with Irina and her sisters. My first mission with the Guard was an exciting venture out onto the open steppes of Russia, where the rural human population was being terrorized by a mysterious killer. Caius suspected that one of our kind had committed the unpardonable crime of creating an immortal child. The vampire world has its trends and fashions and fads just like the human one; in the dark years surrounding the turn of the past millennium, immortal children were the particular plague of choice. The Guard had been particularly busy during those centuries. By the time I was invited to join, most vampires had gotten the message and the trend had died out, or so we thought. Aro deemed Caius' theory a bit overzealous; it was more likely that a newborn had escaped his creator. But Caius' suspicion was proved correct. The child had been created by a female named Sasha, a relatively young nomad originally from modern-day Slovakia. The gruesome evidence precluded the need for interrogation, and she was summarily executed along with her creation.

Sasha had also created three mature female vampires: Tanya, Katrina, and Irina. They were, initially, pronounced guilty by association. They should have reported their creator's crime immediately. But Aro was gracious enough to hold trial, and via his gift was able to determine that Sasha's mature creations had had no knowledge of her crime. One would think that their reprieve would have ingratiated them to the Volturi forever, but by the way they carried on over Sasha's execution, you would have thought we were a band of evil tyrants persecuting an innocent family. They cried out for their "mother", screaming and fighting against those of us who held them. A new Guard at the time, I was not permitted the honor of ending the threat itself; it had been my role to restrain Irina as she anguished over her creator's execution. In my enthusiasm upon my first mission I might have been unnecessarily rough, though in my defense she fought like a wildcat. In the end, she and her sisters were released with a harsh warning: the Law was to be taken seriously, and it was every vampire's civic duty to report those crimes which threatened the peaceful anonymity of our world. They were fortunate to be left alive, and they knew it. I had fond memories of that first mission; it was times like those when the very thought of serving in the Guard, protecting the vampire world from its darkest possibilities, filled me with pride.

So when Alec and I scented Irina approaching us, we were quite shocked. After Sasha's execution, she and her sisters had wasted no time scurrying to the furthest reaches of the known world to distance themselves from us. Only a matter of great urgency could have brought Irina here, to face those she feared and hated. We paused where we were, curiously waiting to see if she would approach us. She did, even as her face twisted with revulsion upon recognizing Alec, and fear as her strange golden eyes darted over to me.

The eyes were not a surprise; I had visited Irina and her sisters twice in recent centuries. It was quite by accident the first time; Aro had wanted to visit Eleazar, a former Guard who had retired from service to travel with his mate. My gift was essential to the mission, and I tracked Eleazar all the way to the beautiful wilderness of central Alaska. Much to our surprise, he and his mate had formed a coven with none other than Sasha's three surviving creations. The size of the resulting coven was a little disturbing, and even more disturbing were the five pairs of sickly-pale eyes which greeted us. At first it seemed that Carlisle had been busy spreading his philosophy in the New World, but Tanya, now the leader of the coven, claimed that she was not acquainted with a Carlisle Cullen, and that she had arrived at the idea on her own. Eleazar and his mate had happily joined the sisters in their new "compassionate" lifestyle. It was truly shocking to see my former comrade degrade himself with such a choice, but admittedly Eleazar had always been a strange one.

Aro verified Tanya's claims, and the innocence of the growing size of her coven, but on the journey home he had seemed quite unsettled. We visited the coven a second time in the mid-1920s. By that time they had taken to calling themselves the Denali Coven, a name which represented their intention to settle permanently. It was odd behavior for our kind, but I supposed when all you hunted was otters and squirrels you could do that sort of thing. In any case, odd was par for the course for those with yellow eyes. Aro had seemed disappointed to find that Eleazar was perfectly content to live in the middle of nowhere, but again he verified that this unusually large coven posed no threat. That visit had led to Edward's invitation into the Guard, since by that time Carlisle had become acquainted with Tanya and her coven. The two coven leaders called each other "cousin" and met occasionally to celebrate their shared lifestyles. This informal union was somewhat disturbing, given the numbers, but Carlisle was peaceable to a fault and the sisters had a healthy fear of the Volturi. Nonetheless, it was reassuring that Eleazar was there to keep an eye on things.

"Irina," I greeted her, nodding slightly.

She ignored me pointedly, turning to Alec. He had been there in Russia too, but his slight stature did not lend itself to the physical duties that had earned me Irina's ire. Her golden eyes were dark. "I have to…" She swallowed. "I have to report a crime."

Ah, so she had learned her lesson after all. I burned with curiosity over the crime in question, but we had a protocol for these things. "Come with us," Alec said gravely, and she followed us back home. She grew more tense as we stepped inside the castle walls, but she lifted her chin and marched onward through the maze of stone halls. I graciously decided to relieve Irina of my insulting presence.

"I'll announce her," I told Alec when we neared the audience chamber. I walked on, reaching with my gift to find Aro. He was another two floors below, probably in Sulpicia's rooms. He eagerly joined me, sending Corin to find Caius and Marcus. The Three seated themselves in state to hear Irina's case and I remained on guard at Aro's side. Renata finally entered and I grudgingly moved aside. Arguably, her gift made her the ideal defense for our Master's person, but at least I _looked_ the part.

"This is quite the pleasant surprise," Aro began when Alec presented Irina.

"And we are gratified to hear that you have finally grown a healthy respect for the Law," Caius inserted, sitting forward in his throne slightly with interest. Nothing improved his mood so much as the promise of exacting justice. "What is this crime you are witness to?"

Irina drew a final deep breath and spoke. "It is the Cullens," she said in a rush. _The Cullens_ , I thought in exasperation. I was growing tired of that name. What had they done now?

"What of them?" Caius demanded. "Speak!"

"They… they have made an immortal child."

Caius was on his feet instantly, his eyes blazing. "Leave us!" Aro said, his eyes wide. "All of you, at once!"

Renata, Alec and I filed out in a flash, staring at one another in our shock once the door was closed behind us.

"I don't believe this!" Alec breathed. "I've got to tell Janey."

"You will do nothing of the sort," I ordered. "You will stay right here until Master Aro tells you otherwise." But Jane found us soon enough and Alec excitedly whispered the gossip in her ear. She hissed in anger, her expression as eager as Caius'. Those two resembled each other so much sometimes, it was uncanny.

Irina came out alone a few minutes later. She leaned heavily against the stone wall, looking for all the world like a human who was about to vomit. Her eyes closed. Jane demanded more information, but Irina did not move or speak again; it was like she couldn't even hear us. Jane ground her teeth, obviously wanting to give Irina a taste of her gift.

We all waited in silence for another four hours, eventually joined by Chelsea. I took to pacing and Renata began to chew on her thumbnail.

"Stop that," Jane snapped to both of us. Renata snatched her hand back down beneath her cloak and shrank deeper into the shadow of the nearest column. I kept pacing.

How could Carlisle _possibly_ have committed such a flagrant crime? He knew the Law! He had even personally _met_ the miniature monsters who had been brought to Volterra for study back in 1709. He had watched, horrified along with the rest of us, as they screamed and destroyed everything their grubby little hands touched, madly trying to break out through the walls to reached the thousands of humans they knew surrounded the castle on all sides. I remembered his golden eyes as they had been that day, dark, marred with pity and sorrow as much as horror. He had actually tried to _reason_ with the little devils, kneeling on the floor like a nursemaid and attempting to hold the male in his arms long enough to speak to him. He had gotten nothing but a smashed finger and a torn face for his trouble. He could not bear to witness their execution, hurriedly excusing himself from the room just in time.

No, I could not believe that Carlisle had done this. It had to be Edward- he was the one all the drama had been centered around this year. Him and his human. Perhaps he had changed her immediately after our meeting in June, and a child for her to dote on? I found it difficult to believe that even Edward could be so ignorantly stupid- although if the past months had revealed anything, it was that Carlisle had no control over his coven whatsoever. It looked as though that failure had just cost him his life.

Finally Caius emerged, looking triumphant. "Assemble the full Guard," he announced. "We have work to do."


	8. War Machine

The next two weeks were a mad flurry of travel and preparations. Many of us in the Guard were dispersed, sent to activate the Reserve Guards and retrieve those witnesses whom Caius and I had been mapping over the past several months. Many of them had never heard of Carlisle and his disciples but came anyway, eager for the diverting spectacle of a trial. Some, like Makenna, seemed reluctant but were wise enough to ingratiate themselves to the Three by answering the call.

Heidi's grief was forgotten as she threw herself into the most difficult task of all. While Chelsea was our emissary to the City of Volterra and the Italian government, Heidi was always out and about in the human world at large. When she was not out procuring our blood she was busy keeping abreast of the latest technological advances, social media trends, border policies of various governments etc. It was her job to always be ready to arrange for whatever travel needs might arise in our line of duty, and this would be her greatest challenge to date. And her cargo had never been so precious: Aro had announced, to our astonishment, that _everyone_ would be travelling to America this time. Corin and the Wives were going to leave the castle for the first time in centuries. It was a terrible risk, but the Three had reason to believe that all our force might be required, and that meant we could not afford to leave a cohort behind to defend the Wives. News of the operation was spreading as we gathered the witnesses, and there were enemies who would leap at the chance to attack in our absence.

This trip would require both the jets that Heidi regularly employed. She had made inquiries about the possibility of purchasing a third for the operation, but time did not permit. Her greatest challenge was arranging the destination and our flight plan. When small cohorts of experienced Guards used the jets it was all well and good to stay on the grid and land at a staffed airport, or even fly commercial as we had done in June, but it was impossible this time. Many of our civilian witnesses and even some of the Reserve Guards were nowhere near civilized or controlled enough to be in such a public place. In order to avoid the enormous security obstacles of flying through the expanse of U.S. airspace, we would be flying east over the Pacific, landing directly on the Olympic Peninsula itself.

Heidi spent nearly the entire two weeks in frantic travel, visiting all the countries whose airspace we would be trespassing, employing her gift and vast financial resources to make arrangements. By the time we reached the airspace along the Pacific Coast, we would be all but invisible to the FAA, NORAD, the U.S. Coast Guard and all other watchful eyes. We would land on the airstrip of an abandoned test-pilot facility a handful of miles from our final destination. Heidi, of course, would pilot the aircraft carrying most of the Coven. Our other pilot was Felix. It had been quite a while since he had been in a cockpit, and never in an aircraft this large, and those of us who would be on the second jet were appropriately nervous. Heidi had him working around the clock on simulations, but I had a feeling that I was about to discover whether vampires could, in fact, experience nausea.

Tensions were running high in Volterra in general. Renata was terrified for the safety of Aro and the Wives, and Corin, who hadn't ever been in so much as an automobile, was an absolute wreck at the prospect of flying. It threw off her gift and as a result everyone became even more short-tempered. Sulpicia, who hardly ever left her rooms except to feed, was restlessly roaming the residential halls and pestering everyone as they came and went, trying to make herself useful with the packing and preparations and generally getting in everyone's way. Athenodora was already accustomed to mixing with the Guard and assuming some of Caius' duties whenever he was out, but she was so exasperated with managing the accommodations for the coming visitors that most of us found excuses to be elsewhere even when we had nothing to do.

I was all too happy to be sent out to retrieve two nomads who had last been seen in Poland. As soon as I returned home I was sent out again with orders to return in three days if I hadn't found the Nigerian Coven. We purposely steered clear of Egypt in our quest for witnesses; having Amun along would be more trouble than it was worth, and he couldn't be trusted.

I hunted twice while I was out. We had been instructed to sate ourselves while out in the field this week, so that the humans Heidi would be bringing back could be given to the witnesses and Reserve Guards, as a special treat to thank them for their loyalty. It was a glorious feeling to be racing down through North Africa again, reveling in the familiar scents of the desert that had once been my home. I had never come this way alone before. We usually did not risk Guards that way, but Caius was going to blow a gasket if we didn't get this mission off the ground by the 29th. While no one spoke of it, we all knew that Alice Cullen would have seen our plans by now. It was anyone's guess what preparations the Cullens had made in their defense- hence the size of our own gathering. In my opinion, they were more likely to make a run for it. I secretly hoped they had. It was undeniably selfish, but I could only imagine the glow of approval in my Master's face as I singlehandedly led the largest assembly of the Guard in history to our quarry, the success of our mission made or broken by the acumen of my gift. It would be my greatest victory. I knew I should not hope for such a challenge, though, since it would greatly complicate our control over our motley retinue.

As if in punishment for my aspiration, the Nigerian Coven was long gone. There was no physical trail, and their mental trail simply led south. They were too far for me to feel the more direct pull of their minds; I had no way of knowing if they were even on the African continent anymore. I followed the trail for the better part of a day and reluctantly turned for home. This week might have been better spent in the western hemisphere; the American and Canadian nomads generally wanted no part of these things, and rarely were included anyway, but they were the ones who stood to benefit the most from our intervention this time. Messages had been sent to a few of the more stationary vampires scattered abroad that we simply did not have the manpower to locate in time, in East Asia and Southern Africa and Australia. It was unlikely that any of them would be able to meet us in America even if they wanted to, but time would tell.

I returned to find the castle in a complete state of chaos. The human employees had been evacuated, or more likely eaten, judging by the new bloodstain on the rug by the desk in the lobby. The door to the garage had been left _unlocked_. The guest hall was overflowing, the walls were ringing with chatter, the air was thick with scents, and I could hear Felix shouting two floors below, though it didn't sound like an urgent matter. Chelsea passed me in the hall and didn't even respond to my greeting, sweeping by with a look on her pinched face that could almost be compared to human exhaustion. I didn't think I had ever seen her look so _thirsty_ before.

I went straight to the audience chamber to find Aro looking quite frazzled himself, trying to reconcile some disagreement between two of the Reserve Guards. I moved instantly to his side, angry to find Renata neglecting her duty. It was all well and good to travel to America in force to administer justice, but there was a very real danger in having so many vampires cooped up together. Aro had been _alone_ here in the audience chamber with these two nobodies, and not a single member of the true Guard in sight! And just because these two vampires had once, decades or centuries ago, sworn an oath to respond to the very occasional call to duty, didn't mean they could be fully trusted. I didn't even recognize the one who was rudely waving his arms as he pled some excuse why he just absolutely could not be in the same airplane as so-and-so. His moth-eaten cloak, still bearing the creases of its disuse, was hardly a comfort. He was actually _raising his voice_ to Aro!

I was in his face in an instant, teeth bared. "If you can't behave in a civilized manner within these walls…!"

"Demetri," Aro sighed, laying a hand on my cloaked arm, "Would you please fetch Corin immediately? I have a most urgent question for her."

I growled and leaned an inch closer toward the mystery Guard, who wisely decided to back away from Aro. My cloak billowed as I turned, flicking in his face with a satisfying _snap_ behind my back as I stormed out and down into the Wives' indoor courtyard.

"Corin," I called out harshly. She appeared in the doorway to Sulpicia's rooms, looking nearly as worn and thirsty as Chelsea had earlier. Her hair was mussed and it looked like she hadn't changed clothes in a week. She absently dipped her hand in the courtyard fountain as she passed by, running her wet fingers through her hair and smoothing it down before returning it to its usual knot at the nape of her neck. At least she appeared to have calmed down about the airplane issue; I felt the tension in my shoulders relax at her presence and I closed my eyes, taking two and a half seconds to savor this moment of relative peace in my home. But this was no time for luxury. "Master Aro calls for you in the audience chamber," I informed her. "Instantly." She darted away, wringing her hands in worry.

"What is the matter, Demetri?" Sulpicia asked, appearing in her doorway.

I stood up straighter. "Master Aro needed Corin for a matter of some urgency… if I may ask, who is guarding you, my Lady?"

"No one, I suppose… but we will be quite all right. I'm sure you have your own duties to attend to."

I bowed slightly, hoping my irritation was not visible. "There could be no greater duty or honor than to ensure your safety."

"Demetri, you really are silly!" she laughed. "I am sure our visitors do not even know the way down to the lower levels, and Athena and I have already promised to stay here now that they have begun arriving."

"It would ease my Master's mind to know you were cared for."

Her smile collapsed. "Oh… you are right, of course. Aro has so many cares pressing upon him these days… I should not have been so thoughtless. Please stay, if you can."

"Of course." I bowed again, and she retired.

I sighed and began my vigil by the fountain, pacing and listening uselessly to the clamor above me. No doubt the "urgent matter" was the emotional volatility of our visitors, which meant it could be any number of hours before Corin relieved me, or someone realized that I hadn't returned. I hated being so inactive, especially when my Master needed me like this. But I should not be disdainful of my charge; guarding that which was closest to Aro's heart was indeed a great honor, however dull the task.

I circled the fountain as slowly as possible, but I had still managed to make a 217th circumnavigation by the time Corin returned, looking more frazzled than before.

"Sorry," she breathed, scurrying up to me. "Everything all right down here?"

"It was touch and go for a moment," I grumbled, already moving back toward the stairs. "The battle was fierce. But I vanquished my eight-legged enemy in the end."

"What?!"

I chuckled. "Spider, Corin. I killed a spider."

She finally smiled, the stress falling away from both of us. "It's been quite a week, hasn't it?"

"It certainly has. Why isn't anyone else down here on guard?"

"Everyone's busy wrangling the-"

"That is no excuse," I interrupted sharply. "Security within our walls should be tighter now than ever, especially down here."

Corin leaned closer, dropping her voice. "At least the Wives are _staying_ down here now. You have no idea how excited they are about the journey." A rare grin suddenly quirked at the corner of her mouth, but then she remembered herself. She straightened back up. "It will be well when the danger is past," she said solemnly.

"It will pass more safely if you do your job," I snapped back, and took to the stairs to go find someone to join her in guarding the most precious treasures in Volterra. But I felt the same way; despite the risk, we were all about to embark on a very great adventure.

.

.

.

The gathering had been scheduled for midnight. Vampire after vampire filed into the Dining Room, some skittish and flitting at the edges of the room with darting eyes, some bold and pressing eagerly to the front of the crowd and the three thrones which sat empty. Others were closely grouped with their own coven members, mates, or acquaintances. We in the Guard- the _real_ Guard- were dispersed throughout the crowd, ready at a moment's notice to address any unpleasantness that might arise.

I had not seen such a gathering in all my centuries. This room had always been used for such purposes, due to its size, but never had it felt so close and crowded. My gift was trembling with a gluttonous excitement, feeling so many familiar minds in one place, eagerly searching out the mental flavor of new arrivals I had never met before.

"Demetri!" a familiar voice called from behind me.

I turned and smiled to see an old friend: Ahmed, one of the few vampires I had met while still with Amun. He had once been associated with the original Egyptian Coven, but loosely enough to absent himself from the Wars and subsequent executions that preceded my existence. Amun had still considered him a friend, trusting him enough to introduce us when he jealousy guarded the secret of my existence from most of his other acquaintances, most of whom had ceased to speak to him anyway. It was almost certainly Ahmed who had alerted the Volturi to my existence and talent in the first place, though this was the first time I had seen him since Egypt. I bore him no grudge, if this was the case, for my estrangement from my creator; if anything, I should be deeply grateful for the role he had played in my advancement. Still, my smile was guarded as I raised my hand in greeting. He flashed to my side, as energetic and gregarious as ever.

"Well, look at you, my young friend," he began, reaching up to finger the fine silk and velvet of the cloak on my shoulder. "A Volturi Guard in the end! I always knew you were destined for great things."

"It's good to see you again, Ahmed. Where have you been all these centuries?"

"Oh, here and there, nothing of consequence…"

A hush descended on the assembled crowd. All conversations dwindled quickly to a respectful quiet as Corin entered the Dining Room, immediately followed by Chelsea, Felix, and then Marcus. A quiet murmur of surprise arose when Caius entered not alone, but accompanied by Athenodora, stately and proud and matching his strides, for she was nearly as tall as her mate. Few living nomads had ever been favored with the sight of either of the Wives, but Sulpicia in particular was, for most in our world, more legend than queen. So when she entered on Aro's arm, resplendent in her silk and adolescent beauty, the crowd again quieted with awe. I glanced anxiously around, fearing the danger, but all eyes were fixed on the Coven as they took their places.

It was a sight I had seen many times: Aro, Caius and Marcus seated on their thrones in state, the Wives standing behind their mates but off-center, so that Marcus' lack was not obvious. But it was a new sight for many of the red eyes here today, to see the full Coven gathered. I think we all felt it; this was a day of significance. We had gathered friends to serve as witnesses to our justice before, but this had the feel of a prelude to war. Many of those gathered did not realize the danger… not yet. We would see how many would remain faithful, once all was told.

I caught Chelsea's eye as I glanced around the room. She had moved to the rear of the crowd with Corin, standing unceremoniously on a chair so that she could see what was going on. Her eyes were wide and focused, though her gaze seemed to rove through the crowd. I was glad she and Corin were here to keep everyone calm. Corin herself had no hope of seeing anything, not having a chair of her own, but she seemed content to keep her eyes closed in her own focus. If I didn't know better, I would think she was asleep on her feet.

"My friends," Aro began. "I am greatly moved by your faithful attendance here today. It is rare for so many of our kind to gather! I am pleased to welcome home thirteen of our Reserve Guards. And so many other friends have come as well!" he added happily, turning slightly left and then right to ensure the goodwill of the rest of his Coven. Sulpicia gave him the smile of an adoring angel, while Athenodora's more regal smile was addressed to the crowd at large. Caius looked impatient but offered a gracious nod as well. Marcus could not be bothered, slumped in his throne as usual, but his eyes were glinting in curiosity as he examined the complex web of relationships in front of him. There were indeed many old friends, acquaintances, and even casual enemies who had been reunited this week. Half our trouble had been deciding who _not_ to invite, so as not to complicate our mission with the reignition of petty feuds and grudges. There were some that had not been invited but had shown up nonetheless; I had no doubt the squabble in the Audience Chamber this morning had been the awkward result of such a blunder.

Aro went on. "I wish it were a happier occasion that brings us together! For we are often a solitary people, and it makes me even more grateful for your courage, that so many of you have set aside your own comforts for the good of our society as a whole. But our business is grim today indeed. A grievous crime has been committed, and it breaks my heart to tell you that it has been committed by one we have long considered a dear friend. There are some crimes, especially when they are compounded by such a personal betrayal, that are too terrible to pardon."

He rose from his throne suddenly, and those vampires nearest the dais backed away as if they had been stung. But Aro was gentle as always, his hands clasped together in entreaty under his sad face. "For as many of you know, there _are_ times when we delight in showing mercy. There are some who, embittered in their own misfortunes, accuse us of being too swift to condemn, even cruel in our administration of justice. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are some among you in this very room"- he glanced at Heidi and then over my shoulder at someone else- "who would be dead today, were we so eager to administer justice without trial… without careful examination. I have found particular joy in the times where my own gift has enabled me to see the innocent heart of a condemned vampire, and so offer pardon and friendship."

His clasped hands dipped once and then fell apart, spread in humility. "But I have a confession to offer, my friends. There are times when we have been _too_ lenient. Some of you will remember the dark days of the Wars, when we fought to liberate our people- and no small contingent of the human population- from the lawless tyranny of our oldest enemies. You remember the terrifying plague of the Immortal Children, those heartbreakingly beautiful beings who turned out to be the greatest menace our world has yet produced. A few of you have had some involvement in our tireless campaign to heal the anarchy in Central America. I need not name the hundreds of smaller crimes, committed by individual vampires or covens, which have required our intervention. But there are lulls of relative peace in the rhythm of the centuries, times when our more unpleasant responsibilities can be briefly set aside in part. Never let it be said that our rule is merely judicial; we are proud to fill many other roles for immortal society.

"So many of you have visited us here in Volterra over the centuries, benefitting from our humble home as a center for culture, for learning… for respite and reconnection with civilization in a world that seems, at times, uncivilized. Carlisle Cullen was one of these visitors, centuries ago. I found what appeared to be a kindred spirit in his young mind- an eccentric, to be sure, but so full of questions and ideas! So eager, in his misguided way, to help our kind achieve a new potential. I speak of his peculiar appetite for the blood of animals."

Aro waited as murmurs of surprise and revulsion rippled through the crowd. Some of our witnesses personally knew Carlisle, or had at least heard rumor of his strange habits. Now that his name had been given as the defendant, they were eager to see how Aro would build the case. Several looked around eagerly, as if Carlisle would be produced for judgment at any moment.

"There are any number of… peculiarities believed and practiced among our kind," Aro continued delicately. "It is not our domain to persecute vampires without criminal cause. Carlisle departed from us in friendship, though I daresay he had outgrown his welcome when his questions shifted into tiresome speeches… into demands. You see, Carlisle Cullen would have _all_ our kind practice his way of life." He held up his hand in protest against the angry protest that was beginning to boil through the crowded room. "But he was a benign fellow, his speech smooth and clever in a diverting way… harmless, as many eccentrics are. Or so things seemed." He sighed. "The trouble is that Carlisle Cullen is an idealist. He was not merely content to spare human lives, you see; his true motivation was never anything so altruistic. It was always his goal to disdain as much of his immortal nature as possible. He had to _become_ human, in the centuries that have followed. His first efforts were alarming but modest: to live among the humans. To work among them. Marriage to his mate by a human priest, and an adolescent creation, to have the requisite family to greet him at the door of his home among the humans. School for the boy… with the human children, year after year for the rest of eternity," he added with a pitying smile that was greeted by scoffing laughter. Only a few of us in the Guard shared in the true joke, knowing the full extent of Edward's misery, when he had been repeatedly offered so much more.

But Aro's smile dropped quickly. "But still Carlisle was not content. Several of you have crossed paths with this strange fellow since he left us, and have endured his proselytism." There were a few nods. "You see, idealists- particularly the immortal sort- crave disciples above all else, if they cannot change their world entirely. When he failed to gather support for his cause here in the Old World, he doubled his efforts in the New. His mate and creation were just the beginning. He made another creation, and another still. Recent evidence has been unearthed that not even a coven of five was enough- he began to grow his following in a new way, persuading two other vampires' creations to join his coven."

"His _crusade_ ," Caius put in angrily, though he kept his seat. "And that was still not enough. Carlisle's coven has now joined in alliance with another coven of five, also in North America. They are also now sworn to his perverse methods. The yellow-eyed way has become a _pestilence_ spreading across North America!"

"Peace, brother," Aro said coolly, holding one hand back toward Caius and the other toward the crowd, who were growing agitated. I pushed my way closer to the front, anxious for Aro's safety. He was the greatest orator of our world, but a mob stirred to zealous anger was a mob nonetheless. There was enormous danger in the combined energies within this crowded room. Renata stood ready off to the side of the thrones, but her own flank was unprotected and there was no telling what new gifts might be present in the witnesses I was yet unfamiliar with. I cast a worried glance back toward Corin, but she had suddenly disappeared. At least Chelsea still held vigil, though she herself was an inviting target, perched on her chair. I was relieved to see that Zaki stood ready to defend her, should any unpleasantness arise. Chelsea and Corin were pitifully in need of protection, despite their training; they had been recruited for their gifts, not their physical prowess. The same went for Jane, but her death would be no great loss.

"We are not making any accusations of that sort," Aro continued, "at least not without further evidence. It is true that there are now twelve yellow-eyed vampires joined in alliance in North America- soon to be thirteen, if I am not mistaken. Another transformation is planned for this year, if it has not already taken place. Only this time, Carlisle's creations are beginning to create disciples of their own. It is also true that of the existing twelve, five are gifted, and it now appears this new addition is also potentially gifted… quite a coincidence. It is also disturbing to learn that one of Carlisle's newest followers is the single most lethal veteran of the infamous Southern Wars. I believe some of you have heard the rumors of the Immortal Terror-"

Aro's next words were drowned out by a sharp cry from the leftmost side of the crowd. It was Santiago, his red eyes suddenly burning with fierce energy that ached to kill. His rage was understandable; before serving in the Guard he had been an unlucky recruit of Lorenzo, leader of the Arizona Coven and sworn enemy of the Mexican Coven, which the Immortal Terror had supposedly been a part of; Santiago had fought him more than once. But more than that: he had lost a friend to the Terror's brutal violence, and sworn an oath to personally kill him the next time they met in battle. It was not long afterward that we had paid Central America a visit and he had joined our ranks. But he would never have had his revenge anyway; his enemy had simply vanished one day, according to popular legend, just around the time the U.S. had entered World War II. So it was _Carlisle's_ service he had deserted to? I remembered the quiet, scarred vampire who had been guarding the newborn prisoner when we had visited Washington. He must be the one.

"...and it saddens me to report," Aro continued, raising his arms to silence the excitement that Santiago's outburst had begun. "that another of Carlisle's allies was once one of our own distinguished Guards. Now, again, we are making no formal accusations of organized rebellion. It would not do to give in to paranoid speculation,"- this was punctuated by a snort of disgust from Caius- "After all, the assembly of friends is no crime. But it would be equally as foolish to ignore the gradual consolidation of power around a man who was once a self-proclaimed pacifist. I say _once_ , because Carlisle Cullen has now done the unthinkable. He has created an _immortal child_."

That did it. The tension in the room ignited into a tempest of disorganized shouts, conversations and a general buzz of excitement. Many of our witnesses had answered the summons simply out of boredom, eager for the spectacle of a single execution; this was more than they had hoped for. Aro waited patiently again for quiet. "We have an eye witness, and I have confirmed her claim with my gift," he announced, gesturing toward Irina, who looked more miserable than ever. She had wanted to leave after giving her report to the Three, but that was not her right until the matter was closed. "We will, of course, need to gather further information upon our-"

"What more information do you need?!" shouted a stranger off to my right. "We have come to see justice done, and we will see it done!" There were shouts of agreement.

"Sadly, yes," Aro agreed. "Justice will be done, and as swiftly as possible. What I mean is that it is yet unclear who the child's actual creator is. You see, I have recently learned that the Cullen _family_ \- for Carlisle uses human terminology whenever possible- has something of a track record when it comes to following the Law as circumspectly as possible. Make no mistake: several hundreds of humans have died at the hands of Carlisle's disciples in the past century- which of course is no crime at all- but several times they have left humans _alive_ with some pieces of knowledge about their nature. There is alive today in Seattle a human who has full knowledge of the Cullens' immortality, and yet lives. He in fact is in _contract_ with Carlisle's coven and allies, regularly paid to provide them with documentation and various services to support their fraudulent human lives- but surely Carlisle would protest that this human is not aware of their _vampire_ nature. There is a police officer who far too close to the Cullens' daily activities-"

" _Chief_ of Police," Caius amended sharply.

"Yes, Chief of Police. And Carlisle's eldest creation, Edward, has for some months conducted a romantic dalliance with a human who is fully aware of his nature- but we withheld judgment earlier this year because her transformation was impending at _some_ future date. This," he added with a look of contrition, "was the act of unfortunate lenience which I referred to earlier. I confess that I was eager, and relieved, to find a way to spare young Edward for the sake of his creator, my friend. But now it appears that indulgence may have been an unfortunate error, for the creation of this immortal child seems to have some link to Edward and his human mate, who by this time may be his newborn creation. The timing is certainly interesting, is it not? It is entirely possible that Edward, who has displayed poor judgment on a number of occasions, has created this child for his mate to enjoy, in imitation of his sire's obsession with creating a humanoid family and lifestyle.

"So it is yet unclear if Carlisle is indeed the creator of the immortal child. If not, it is entirely possible that he did not give permission or even have knowledge of the act. One thing is already crystal clear, however, based upon the performance give by young Edward here earlier this year: Carlisle is not in control of his ever-growing coven. In fact, we have evidence that there have often been differences in opinion between the coven members and their leader. He certainly has never taken punitive action when they kill humans- which is supposedly in violation of his greatest moral standard- and I saw a great many memories in Edward's mind of disagreements, sometimes violent, between the various members of the coven, or between creator and creation.

"Consider, for example, Alice Cullen, who was also our visitor during the incident here in Volterra earlier this year. Demetri and Felix, you saw how she arrived, human in tow, just in the nick of time to prevent Edward's foolish illegal act of exposing himself to a crowd in sunlight. It was Alice, not Edward, who provided me with the genuine promise of the human's transformation. In Edward's memory there were a great many times when Alice intercepted a 'family member', convincing them not to commit an act which would have been in breach of the Law. I give you these examples to impart to you all the complexity of this problem, and our delicate responsibility in exacting justice when the time comes."

"There are other crimes involved," Caius prompted impatiently.

"I would not say crimes… _indiscretions_ might be a more accurate term," Aro protested. "At least until the full extent of the truth is established, for young Edward's mind was unclear on some points. But the Cullens have had an eventful year, to say the least. I am still just gathering the details of a run-in with a female nomad who bore them enmity. Apparently the Cullens had killed her mate-"

"Some pacifist," someone muttered near the back of the room.

"-and she formed an army of newborns to achieve her vengeance. Needless to say, the entire matter got out of hand and the human media coverage was enough to attract our attention. The most disturbing part of all this is that the Cullens knew of the newborn army, and did not trouble themselves to report the illegal activity. Jane, dearest, you were there…"

My teeth ground as Jane perked up, her eyes wide with surprise at this unexpected attention. "Yes Master, I was there," she answered in her most grown-up voice. The _nerve_ of her! As if she was the only one there!

"Tell us, Jane, what you found when you arrived upon the scene of the battle."

Jane turned to face us all, holding herself tall and proud. "We found the Cullens and their human unharmed. There were a few injuries, but only minor. All of the newborns and their creator had been destroyed, save one. Edward was particularly belligerent about everything, as if he hadn't-"

"Now, Jane, we are not here to enumerate _personal_ indiscretions," Aro said with a hint of an indulgent smile. Jane dipped her head slightly at his reprimand. If she were human she would certainly be blushing to her toes, just as Edward's human was so skilled at doing. "You mentioned that one newborn had been spared?"

"Yes," Jane said eagerly. "Carlisle said he wanted to keep it, that his coven would take responsibility for it. He sought to interfere with the newborn's execution, but it was carried out nonetheless."

"Interesting," Aro said, speaking over new murmurs of disapproval. I shook my head in disbelieving anger, seeing the incident through new eyes. Carlisle had been trying to add to the ranks of his disciples _again-_ and this time with a rabid newborn, fresh off the field of battle! I remembered the scarred vampire who had been guarding her... himself a veteran of an illegal war, as it turned out. What had Carlisle been planning do to with her?

"And did you notice anything else peculiar about the scene?" Aro continued. Jane gave him a blank look and he frowned. "Demetri?" All eyes turned to me. For a second I panicked, coming up blank as well.

"There was a smell," I remembered suddenly. "An odd, bitter smell that was at odds with the scent of the death fires."

"Ah, yes," Aro said in approval, and relief flooded me. _Take that, you little witch_ , I thought, sending Jane the barest hint of a smirk. "My dear ones would not know that particular scent," Aro went on, "and indeed I only recognized it because of the memories given to me by young Edward earlier this year."

"Werewolf," Caius spat, unable to contain himself any longer, and a chorus of excited cries ignited the familiar vengeful light in his eyes. He lurched to his feet and Aro graciously stepped aside, gesturing for him to speak to the crowd that was, once again, clamoring for an explanation, for justice, for anything that would get them the show- and the favor- they had come for. "I will be brief," he promised. "We have recently learned that the Cullens first encountered a werewolf pack in 1936, in the same region they now inhabit. We need not make mention of the fact that this werewolf pack, like the newborn army earlier this year, was not reported by the Cullen coven, nor the fact that returning to a location they frequented seventy years ago is a dangerous act. The human lifespan is now often greater than seventy years, and thus there is a substantial risk that they have already been recognized by any number of humans who interacted with them in the past."

"You begin to see what I mean," Aro said wearily to the crowd, "about the Cullens navigating the Law in their own creative way. Go on, Caius."

"The Cullens are well known for their perversity," Caius said disdainfully, "but in this matter they acted so strangely that it is beyond our understanding. Instead of destroying the werewolves, they formed a _treaty_."

"A what?" Ahmed gasped at my side, echoed by several others. I was equally dumbfounded. I had fought werewolves alongside Caius before, and I could not fathom how an alliance, or a discussion of any kind, was possible. Was there any sort of trouble the Cullens had _not_ gotten themselves into?!

"Jane," Caius snapped, and she froze again. "You mentioned the fact that the Cullens were surprisingly unhurt when you arrived at the scene of the battle. It is our belief, substantiated by the evidence of the odor that Aro has gleaned from your memories, that the Cullens have called on their local werewolf friends and unleashed them against their enemies. It appears their so-called _treaty_ is in fact another _alliance_. I submit the possibility that the existence of these unsavory allies may very well be the reason for their timely return to the Pacific Northwest. I have no more to say." With that he retreated to his throne, soothed by the calming touch of Athenodora.

"In sum," Aro said grandly, to the relief of several in the crowd, "we have several pieces of concrete evidence that Carlisle Cullen has been guilty of, or at least accessory to, a disturbing number of acts which put the vampire world at risk. His influence has grown wide, and he has employed a number of techniques to add to the count of his disciples. At worst, the patterns of this evidence might suggest a sinister plan, or at least a very great threat to the stability of our society. At best, he has utterly lost control of his coven and allowed himself to become the center of an unusually complicated- and possibly damning despite his passivity- series of events. It remains to be seen which of the Cullens and their allies, if not all, will be found guilty on which counts. Our greatest priority, however, is the termination of the immortal child and its creator."

He stepped to the very edge of the dais, lowering his voice to the level of intimate confidence. "My friends, I submit to you that this is a most complex problem. I am eternally grateful for your assistance and attendance. I know it is asking a great deal of you to embark on this journey to America with me, but I hope you will enjoy the adventure of our travel.

"In a few brief hours we will be landing in an abandoned airport which is quite close to our final destination. We will now divide the entire company into two groups, each of which will correspond to one of the aircraft we will be using for our journey. You will then receive more details regarding the journey and its particulars, as well as more specific information about what to expect when we arrive in Washington. Caius will be addressing the second group and Heidi will address the first, if she has returned yet…" He paused, looking over all our heads to the doors. "Ah, splendid timing, my dear!"

We all turned around to see Heidi offering her most spectacular smile and dressed in her finest. There were several sighs and murmurs of approval in various languages, turning quickly to disappointment when she promptly turned and exited. "Your attention again, if you please," Aro called out. "One more thing, before we begin our final preparations. If our esteemed Guards will make their up way here to the dais now… no, not our Reserve Guards, please- I have a special announcement for you and our other visitors." He waited as we moved towards him, the Reserve Guards and witnesses backing away from the dais with uncertainty. I knew what had been planned, but it was still marvelous to behold my Master's generosity. And his cunning: fine words might win allegiance, but a full stomach won affection.

"We wish to express our gratitude to all of you who have made the effort to join us today," he announced happily. "And so it is our pleasure to provide every single one of you with the honor of a meal today, here in the famed Dining Hall of Volterra!" He raised his arms like a conductor cueing an orchestra, and the doors opened, bringing in a thick, heady rush of human scent.

The humans never made it into the Dining Room. Our visitors instantly turned from captive audience into slavering savages and rushed to claim their prizes. Those of us on the dais looked on, sharing our Master's small smile of utter disdain.

.

.

.

If any of our witnesses had been on the fence about their participation, they had been convinced by their surprise treat- and by Aro's grand promise that an identical honor would be bestowed upon our return to Volterra. Still, when it came time to board the planes, quite a few of our visitors balked.

"I really don't see the need to travel this way," Ahmed said anxiously. He stood frozen on the runway, unable to walk the final five feet to the steps. "What's wrong with a good old-fashioned steamliner?"

"It's completely safe," I assured him, dragging him the rest of the way by his elbow. "I've travelled in these jets dozens of times." Many of my comrades were in the same position, assisting those who were afraid to board. Like Corin, some of them had never been in so much as an automobile. While our immortality naturally bestowed a sense of courage, it was unnerving to place oneself in a such close quarters with strangers, particularly where over two hundred thousand liters of fuel was concerned. Others seemed more upset over the thought of being suspended in mid-air over the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Many nomads had never ventured any great distance from their birthplace, and even most of those who wandered longer distances had never left the relative safety of the Afro-Eurasian land mass. Some few had ventured to the Americas via the North Pole or the Bering Strait, and were quite vocal in their preference to travel that way.

When all was said and done, we lost a total of five witnesses and two Reserve Guards. Two of the witnesses had been dismissed for fighting, and the others simply could not bring themselves to board the aircraft. We almost lost another witness on the second airplane a few minutes after boarding, due to claustrophobia, but he was successfully transferred to the other airplane where Corin could assist him. I fervently wished she could have been with us on the second, but her place was with the Wives, who had joined Aro and Marcus on the first. I half suspected that Caius was here in the second to keep an eye on Felix, who had been making the most inappropriate jokes about doing _barrel rolls_ over the Pacific.

"Behave yourself," I warned him as I sealed the door behind myself. He flashed me a threatening grin, promised nothing, but I thought he looked a little anxious himself. I was only slightly reassured when Caius did indeed join him up in the cockpit. _We're all going to die_ , I thought miserably as I took my seat. A thousand years, and this was how it was going to end: exploding at 35,000 feet because our amateur pilot had forgotten to shut off some switch or other, or because some feral vampire would have a panic attack and accidentally put a foot through the fuel line at just the right spot. At least I had the consolation that Jane and Afton would die with me, and that Aro would be safe in the other airplane.

But for the sake of our passengers, I put on an unconcerned smile. Jane was pouting out the window, still sulking over her disgrace earlier, and Chelsea was trying to calm down Charles and Makenna, who had just found out that Felix had never _once_ flown a jet before. Ahmed overheard this sensitive information, and soon the entire cabin was alight with protests and complaints and whimpered requests to be let off and transferred to the other airplane. But we were already sailing down the runway, and I was hard-pressed not to join the gasps that erupted when we took to the air. I clenched the armrests of my seat as we tipped up away from the ground too sharply, convinced that Felix was going to clip the tail right off and we were going to explode before even leaving Italy. But we climbed without further incident, and soon everyone was breathing again as we reached cruising altitude.

"I told you it would be all right," I said smoothly, reaching over and peeling Ahmed's frozen fingers out of the deformed metal of his own armrest. Judging by the panic written on the faces of nearly all our first-time flyers, the aircraft was being similarly mangled in several places already. To say nothing of the filth that had been tracked in by the more uncouth nomads, the bloodstains on the upholstery from the hands and clothing of those who had been too excited to feed cleanly, and the _smells_ … I sincerely hoped we would be purchasing a new fleet once this was over. We were certainly a motley crew, all told; at least Caius had supplied most of the Reserve Guards with fresh cloaks so as not to _completely_ disgrace the prestige of the Guard on this mission. I only hoped the Reserves would remember to walk in formation when the time came. Surely they could handle that much.

But prestige and disorganization aside, it was thrilling to be a part of such an impressive force, and to still be so near the top of the ranks, the elite among the elite. To add to our usual talents, we had several Reserve Guards who had been chosen for their strength and speed, as well as one that was a forward physical shield. Charles had his lie-detecting gift; that he had been summoned by Aro was proof enough to our more skeptical witnesses that the prosecution of the Cullens was fully valid. One of our witnesses, a female from Germany, had a gift of a superior sense of smell. Another witness was rumored to be able to temporarily blind his enemies with a single touch. The vampire in question was a young male none of us had met before. He was in the other airplane, no doubt receiving special instructions from Aro.

We had more information to process during the flight, though it would only help to pass a fraction of the time. Once Caius had assured himself that Felix knew what he was doing in the cockpit, he reentered the cabin and spoke with everyone regarding some potential scenarios and what roles we might each be expected to play if hostilities arose. Everyone was passing around sketched pictures of each of the Cullens and their golden-eyed "cousins", in case Alice had given Carlisle enough warning and he had summoned them to come defend the immortal child. I highly doubted that was the case, however. Irina had her own personal motive for betraying her so-called cousins, but her sisters should be equally horrified, if they had yet learned what Carlisle had done. And Eleazar… if anything, Carlisle would have avoided contact with his cousins for fear that Eleazar would perform his obvious duty and destroy the child before further damage could be done. On the other hand, the Cullens' choices had become increasingly erratic and unpredictable.

What would we find, when we reached America? It was anyone's guess. As of this morning, there hadn't seemed to be any telltale signs of the child's existence in the human media; either the Cullens had kept it contained this long, or had already terminated it themselves. It would be something of a terrible letdown for everyone if we arrived to find the situation already resolved. The witnesses would be particularly disappointed. Many of them had never seen an immortal child, and, while they would never admit it aloud, were rather excited about seeing one in action. But they would not be fully disappointed; even if the child had been terminated, Aro would need to determine who was responsible for its creation, and we would need to sort out some of the other "indiscretions" that had been committed. The executions that would follow, however many would be taking place, would at least satisfy some part of the mob's lust for violence. If it was as cut and dried as all that, it was likely that Aro and Caius would allow us to carry out the executions without Alec's assistance. That would also make for a nice spectacle. Distasteful, to offer unnecessary torture, but there was our audience to consider… and our reputation, which was now in their hands.

Furthermore, if the Cullens were guilty of as many crimes as was suspected, they deserved whatever pain was coming to them, and their example would be even more important as a lesson to the rest of the vampire world. Because Aro was right: he had been too lenient, if not with Carlisle himself then with Edward. I still thought that many of Carlisle's crimes were really more a matter of passivity and negligence, but the simple fact was that Edward existed under his authority. Carlisle was ultimately responsible for the behavior of his coven, if not his allies. If Edward had himself created the child, as I suspected, and Carlisle had any knowledge of the act, he deserved death as well. As did any who had been privy to the child's creation and did nothing to stop it or report it. As it stood, it was entirely possible that Irina was the only golden-eyed vampire who would still be alive this time next week.

But what if Carlisle _had_ created the child? It was hard to reconcile the gentle, peaceable nomad I had once known with the man we were prosecuting on this mission. But Carlisle's pro-human ideals had certainly changed form, if not reversed altogether. Creating vampires was antithetical to any philosophy that extolled the sanctity of human life, was it not? This was a man who had once recoiled in shock when Aro kindly suggested that he create for himself a mate, perhaps a friend… someone to share in his funny little humanoid life. _Never!_ I recalled him declaring. _I could never condemn any soul to this existence, innocent or otherwise._ I remembered thinking at the time how unfashionably rude it was of Carlisle to insult Aro to his face like that… but I myself had met Carlisle's first two creations decades ago, and earlier this year had seen the full "family", assembled on the field of battle around their shivering human. Carlisle had changed his tune, and now it was only a question of how drastically he had changed it. Had he truly turned into the sort of monster that would unleash an immortal child on the human populace? I could scarcely believe that. I had seen in his eyes earlier this year that same worried gentleness as before. But there had also been something new, if only awakened by the battle he had just fought in: a fierce protectiveness, a deadly and total devotion to the "family" he had made for himself. That he had fought in any sort of battle at all was evidence of how much he had already changed.

And what about the werewolves? That component of the case was truly puzzling. I knew the scent of werewolf as well as Caius did, and that was not what I had smelled back in Washington State earlier this summer. Could I have been mistaken- perhaps the stench of Carlisle's executions had overpowered the scent, or caused some change in it? Perhaps this American breed simply smelled different than their Eurasian cousins. And if Aro had learned of their existence from Edward's memories back in March, why had nothing been done about it before now? Even if the threat of their existence was not judged to be an urgent threat, it would have been a small matter for our cohort to deal with them while we were in America, once we had dealt with the mess Victoria and the Cullens had caused. But instead they were still alive, and possibly trained to do the Cullens' bidding. What if Caius was right? What if moving back to the Olympic Peninsula was part of some great plan... and being closer to their Alaskan allies and their pet wolves was a part of that plan?

I reflected on the speech Aro had given in the Dining Room. It was easy to see through the eloquence and duty with which he addressed the half-civilized mob; Aro hated to think ill of his old friend. It was not my place to critique my Master, but he had said it himself: he was generous to a fault sometimes. Caius himself had, on countless occasions, had to argue and persuade and thunder against Aro's reluctance upon the event of necessary prosecutions. Even once guilty verdicts had been delivered, Aro occasionally snatched a defendant away from death at the final second, desperate to find a way, within the Law, to offer pardon or reprieve. Sometimes his mercy prevailed, aided by the insight of his gift, but more often Caius had his way. And, truly, it was good that Caius was there to provide that balance. Aro was the finest leader our kind had ever been blessed with, there was no doubt on that count, but he did need Caius' ruthlessness to balance him. Marcus had been his first companion, long ago before any of us Guards had been conceived; but Marcus was also tenderhearted, sometimes pitching himself against Caius' harsh verdicts as well. In those times, Aro was forced to cast the deciding vote.

He had, I thought, performed this task with fairness, but again, he tended toward pardon perhaps a little too often. He had even found it within his generous heart to forgive the wretched remnants of the Romanian coven, for example. His generosity toward Amun was more understandable, since Amun had wisely offered his allegiance at the right moment. Though it did sometimes perplex me why we let liabilities like that exist. There was the same issue with the Southern Covens who were permitted to continue the Wars, so long as they did so discreetly. It was, surely, a matter of politics and intrigue, too full of secrets and complicated historical reasons that us younger Guards could not fully understand. But I wondered now how many times sentiment had played into those decisions, when perhaps it should not have.

Aro seemed to have been trying, throughout his speech today, to convince himself that Carlisle surely could not have done the things he stood accused of. That surely his friend, once a confidante and kindred spirit, could not be the center of what appeared to be the beginnings of an organized rebellion against the Volturi… against _him_. His sentimental heart was reaching for a way to excuse Carlisle for that betrayal, and at least _some_ of the indiscretions that had been listed.

But the fact remained: the crime of negligence, when it was of this magnitude, was nonetheless punishable by death. It _had_ to be, or we would soon have more trouble on our hands. Justice, at its most basic level, served two purposes: to stop criminals and contain any damage they had wreaked, and to inspire the rest of the vampire world to obey the Law to its fullest extent. Half-measures were unacceptable, and now we were seeing the result of Aro's lenience. Even if the child's horrors had not yet made national news, we would no doubt spend several days cleaning up the local damage. I loved my Master, but I sincerely hoped he would take this sad lesson to heart.

"Well Demetri," Chelsea said, interrupting my train of thought. "What do you think we will find in America?" Her sharp gaze pierced through my tension, and I felt myself begin to relax. She wasn't nearly as good as Corin, but it was a relief to have her here. I hadn't realized I was so tense.

"I was wondering that myself," I began, ignoring Afton's rude stare. He had been especially difficult lately, because Chelsea and I had been spending more time together. It wasn't _my_ doing, though; this was just how these things went with duty shifts and such. Every time I had returned from one of my searching missions with Caius, it seemed she had always been on duty up at the front, or in the Audience Chamber or whatnot. What with the stress of recent events, it was understandable that she might need to attend our Master more frequently. "It's quite possible the immortal child has already been disposed of," I said. "We may find that hostilities over the child's fate have divided the Cullens." I drew closer, lowering my voice. "And Alice Cullen will surely have seen what is coming. They may have run or called upon their allies in Alaska."

"They have called upon more than that," Ahmed said ominously. I turned back around to face him with a frown; this was the second time that he had overheard something not meant for his ears. Apparently his hearing was keener than average.

"What do you mean?" Afton asked him.

Ahmed leaned forward. "I mean that news of this expedition is common knowledge already- in both hemispheres. How do you think I learned of it?"

"Of course the news of our gathering has spread," I said impatiently. "But what do you mean by 'called'?"

"I mean that Carlisle Cullen himself was in Europe less than a fortnight ago. Or at least in the British Isles. Rumor has it he was visiting friends there. Interesting time for a casual visit, don't you think?"

Chelsea frowned, folding her hands together on her lap. "I was not aware Carlisle still had connections in that region."

"Perhaps he was seeking refuge with friends," Afton offered. "If he saw judgment coming. Maybe his coven is on the run already."

Ahmed shook his head. "It was only him and his mate. And his visit was very brief."

"Where are you hearing all these things, exactly?" I challenged.

"Ah, my friend, you have never lived out in the world. We nomads like to gossip, you know, and this sort of news travels fast. But I was also skeptical, so I did a little hacking. Carlisle and Esme Cullen both had airline reservations in and out of Dublin, less than a fortnight ago, as I said. So I think he was inviting his red-eyed friends to come to his defense."

"Against _us_?" I said incredulously.

"Have you reported these things?" Jane asked sharply, inviting herself into the conversation. "Have you given Aro your hand?"

He shrugged. "I am confident our leaders have the information they need. Surely they will not wish to be bothered with the idle speculation of-"

"Forget your speculations!" I said angrily. "You have concrete evidence of Carlisle rushing to contact his acquaintances once he saw us coming- of course they need to be bothered with information like that! Get Caius," I snapped, looking up at Jane. She glowered at me but went up to the cockpit. We had a captive audience by now, vampires turned toward us in their seats and perches along the walls, watching and listening as the scandal grew more exciting.

"Aren't you curious, Demetri, where Carlisle was flying _to_ when he left Dublin?" Ahmed asked me, a sly grin pulling at his lips.

"Back to America, I imagine," I said irritably. "To coordinate this _army_ you seem to think he is building."

"Did I say army? I don't recall saying that."

I sighed, readjusting my cloak against the seat. It was going to have creases in it. "Where, Ahmed? Spit it out."

"Cairo."

I didn't have time to respond; Caius had already stormed into the cabin and was demanding that Ahmed tell him everything he knew. I tuned them out and stared out the window, uncomfortable at the possibility that Amun might be involved in this… and on the wrong side, at that. I saw no reason why Amun should even be associated with Carlisle in the first place, nor why he would risk his neck to support _anyone_ who was in trouble like this. He was on thin ice was it was. But what if he _was_ there when we arrived? What if I was going to see my creator again, in a matter of mere hours? I felt a long-dead stirring of affection for the man I had once called Father. I hoped, for his sake, that he was staying as far from this mess as possible.

 _Not that I feel any loyalty towards Amun_ , I thought next, to assure Aro the next time he took my thoughts. _He is an old fool, and he is an even greater fool if he has allied himself with your enemies. With Carlisle_ , I amended quickly. It remained to be seen if Carlisle would prove to be an enemy, instead of just a criminally negligent aberration. I hoped, for Aro's sake, that he could be found innocent of the stronger charges. At least I tried to hope for that… I _should_ hope for that. The truth was that all of us had heard enough of the Cullens' antics to last us an eternity, and we wished to hear no more. I wanted Carlisle and his disciples to burn, not so much for their pettier crimes but for their disdain for my Master. For their disrespect, for their arrogance… for their betrayal. For how they had _hurt_ him. After all he had done! After all he had forgiven!

What had I been _thinking_ earlier?! How could I have looked at my Master with loving pity, grateful he shared the reins of justice with _Caius_ , that he might temper Aro's kindness? I glanced at Caius now, practically snarling and spitting in his rage as Ahmed reported all he knew of Carlisle's travels. And I was no better- sitting here, eager and aching to destroy our enemies, practically gnashing my teeth as I thought of the joy of tearing Carlisle's hypocritical head from his shoulders. _This_ was the darkest underside of our nature, that our thin gloss of civility was so easily broken through by our ferocity… our cruelty. It was Aro who tempered _Caius_ , not the other way around! It was Aro, his calm civility equal to his genius, that held our volatile society steady at its helm.

Ruthless, heartless tyrants had once prevailed in Romania, in Egypt… and it was Aro who had healed the vampire and the human worlds from those tyrannies. Justice, ending in mercy, had proved the wisest course again and again- how could I have forgotten that? I burned in my shame, silently pleading for Aro's forgiveness yet again. Why had my heart been so restless lately? It took so little for a millennium of generosity to be forgotten. I had been _nothing_ when Aro found me, and he had raised me up to become one of the most privileged, most feared vampires in all the world. And yet here I sat, lounging in the luxury of his favor and casually picking apart his qualifications even as I strained at the leash of civilized justice, slavering for-

"Demetri?" Chelsea said, her hand touching my shoulder and bringing me out of my dark thoughts. She looked worried.

"What?!" I growled, pulling away from her touch. Afton was glaring at me again, and I couldn't fully blame him. It wasn't Chelsea's fault that I needed her frequent attention. She backed away, but kept staring at me until I began to relax again. It felt like the plane was going in circles. I laid my head back against the headrest of my seat, kneading my forehead and blinking like a human who had run out of coffee. Vampires just weren't meant to exist at this altitude. Across the aisle, Charles was looking out of sorts himself.

"What's your problem?" I asked irritably.

Charles' eyes drifted forward to where Ahmed was still talking with Caius. He opened his mouth slightly, then shut it again. "Nothing," he decided, before twining his arm with Makenna's and tilting his head back against the seat, as I had just done.

.

.

.

We landed in Singapore, but only long enough to refuel. We were ordered to stay immobile in our seats, as there were human workers very near the airplanes. Caius felt it was too risky to take Ahmed over to the other airplane to give Aro his hand and ascertain the full truth of the gossip he had brought, so the information would have to keep until we landed in America.

"You could tell Aro everything over the radio," I suggested.

"What for?" Caius snapped, looking most uncomfortable crammed into his seat for the sake of the humans dotting the runway. He did his flying standing up. "It won't help anything for him to find out a few hours earlier. I hate talking on those things."

We had some excitement just as we were taking off again. One of the human workers took a spill on the pavement outside, foolishly pulling up his shirtsleeve to reveal a new bloody gash. Wonderful. I jumped out of my seat, sprinting to intercept Charles as he dove toward the window. He was tall but spindly; I checked my force as I hit him, afraid I would overpower him too easily and crash him right into the windows myself. But he was even easier to manage than I expected, struggling only briefly and with hardly any force.

"They are lying."

His whisper, just barely audible against my ear, took only an instant. "My apologies," he said loudly, breaking away from my hold and returning to his seat. Two of the vampires nearest him nodded in commiseration, and one laughed, leaning past his seatmate to catch a glimpse of the blood as Felix nudged the airplane away from the fuel hoses. Charles himself was quite composed, his eyes still a healthy red as though he hadn't just lost complete control of himself. He held my gaze meaningfully for a final moment, and then he turned in his seat to listen to some nomad friend or other that wanted to tell him of an exciting "accident" of his own a few years back.

 _They are lying_. What was that supposed to mean? Nobody had even been talking in the moments before his little display. Then I remembered his discomfort earlier when Ahmed and Caius had been talking about Carlisle's recent travels. Was it possible that Ahmed had cooked the whole thing up, trying to advance himself in Aro's favor? If so, it was a grave mistake; false testimony of any sort was met with serious consequences. I considered bringing Charles' concern to Caius, but there seemed to have been a reason for his discretion. Perhaps there was someone on the plane with us who it needed to be kept from? I took my seat again, turning slightly to look at each and every vampire dotted throughout the cabin. There were so many I did not know or trust, and we had already said too much in front of them as it was.

It did not matter. In a few hours Ahmed would give Aro his testimony and his thoughts, and all would be laid bare.

.

.

.

After another stop to refuel and endless hours of the airplanes droning in unison over the dark waters of the Pacific, we reached the Olympic Peninsula. It was a relief to finally disembark; the earth had never felt so solid since my first flight nearly a century ago. But I had to admit, Felix had done well. Our first-time flyers scrambled out of the airplane as if it was on fire, several announcing that Aro couldn't offer them enough blood to do that again. They'd take the long way home.

Caius immediately took Ahmed to Aro, nearly everyone in our plane following behind. The two crowds mingled, eager to share this latest gossip and the horror stories from their respective flights in hushed whispers while Aro took Ahmed's hand.

His expression changed gradually from sadness to horror. His eyes opened even as he still grasped Ahmed's fingers. He finally released him and slowly turned first to face Caius, and then the assembled crowd.

"It is true," he said gravely. "Carlisle has indeed been scrambling to visit his allies abroad in preparation for his defense."

"If it was ever indeed a _defense_ in the first place," Caius hissed, staring into the woods toward our quarry. I turned and stared as well, stretching out in anger with my gift. I could just barely discern a crowd of familiar minds, too tangled and distant to be sorted out yet.

Aro held up his hands in warning. "Now, Caius-"

"Look at the facts, brother!" Caius all but shrieked. "The Cullens do not merely see themselves as above the Law- they seek to throw it down! With the creation of this child, they have summoned us, _dared_ us to confront them!" A chorus of hisses and snarls answered him, our righteous anger stirring anew with this outrageous news.

"They are gathered," I confirmed, raising my voice and pointing toward the south. "I need to get closer to identify them, but there are many. Far too many to be just the Cullens and their domestic allies."

"Let us move closer," Aro said calmly, but his eyes were wide with anticipation… or with dread. "We will pause once more and make our final arrangements then. Lead on, Demetri."

I surged forward into the trees, burning with pride at his words. We picked, climbed, and slashed our way through the snow-laced forest, soon crossing two scent trails that I did not recognize. How many had Carlisle summoned to challenge us?!

I still could not sift through the mass of vampires now less than three miles in front of us, but I could seek for those I expected to find. I spoke them aloud as I confirmed their presence, my fury mounting with each report. "Edward is there… Carlisle. His mate Esme. Emmett and Rosalie."

"And... young Alice?" Aro asked. I strained to find her, finally shaking my head. "Ah!" he sighed, his voice coming out somewhat higher. "It is as I expected then. Once again she has separated herself from the sins of her coven."

"A wise decision," Caius offered.

I resumed my search, absently picking my way through the brambles as I focused. "Tanya and Katrina… _Eleazar_." I nearly screamed his name through my clenched teeth. My fellow Guards were beyond enraged at this, spewing their disbelief and insults for the traitor. There was a commotion as Irina grew more upset upon hearing the names of her sisters. She finally had to be subdued and dragged along by Felix as we moved forward. I sought next for the mind I suspected was the fruit of Carlisle's recent flight to Ireland. "Siobhan," I called out, earning a hissed oath from Caius in Greek.

Finally, I held my breath and reached for the one mind I hoped I would not find. I found it. I reluctantly turned and did my duty. "Amun has come."

This excited the civilian witnesses more than any other name. Aro finally had to turn and wave his arms for quiet. "And," he said, turning to me again. "Have they come? Could they have dared?"

There was no need to ask who he meant. I stretched out my gift once more, almost laughing as I found them. Unbelievable. "They have. The Romanians are both here."

The witnesses grew even _more_ excited, if that were possible. The spectacle was getting better and better as it neared, all the ancient heroes and villains taking their places on the stage to wage battle once again. I picked up the pace and we were soon crossing more scent trails, as well as the bitter stench of the Cullens' foul new pets.

"The wolves," Caius announced in triumph, his agitation settling into a deadly calm. The others quieted as well in their readiness and fear; they finally understood that _they_ might be in danger. I finally turned and stopped near the edge of the woods, impatiently waiting for everyone else. Several hundred yards ahead I could see a break in the dense wall of evergreens; the Cullens had chosen an open battleground, then. I shivered with rage at their blasphemy, trembling until I was frozen solid. My comrades caught up first, the Wives now bringing up the rear and the Three beside them.

"My friends," Aro called softly, so that those farthest away leaned closer to hear. "History will be made here today. Our hand has been forced, and I fear our enemies have gathered all they could to meet us. Those of you who are our dear friends, but not in our service, I bid you to take care; I have not brought you here to die. I simply ask that you bear witness to the justice that must, sadly, be exacted."

The witnesses gave various quiet answers (and some not so quiet), but from the dangerous light in their eyes I thought many of them would indeed choose to fight with us, if it came to that. They were welcome, so long as they stayed out of our way and obeyed orders. Caius gave the final commands for the approach: we would form a diamond as we exited the woods. The Reserves would form the perimeter and the darkest cloaks would be in the center directly around the Three and ahead of the Wives, who would be under the direct care of Zaki and Santiago.

I stepped back toward the center, my individual rage gelling with everyone else's into a deadly silence as the war machine was formed. My first task was fulfilled; I was a soldier again, one part of a whole. We were no longer a mix-matched crowd of Guards and _Guards_ , but a single mass of energy. A weapon, passive and coiled, waiting only for the command of those who wielded it.

"Hoods," Caius said at last, and the solemnity of the moment fell upon us all. Fury gave way to duty and obedience. We all drew our hoods low over our faces and advanced, bringing judgment and death to all those who dared ask for it.


	9. Falling Scales

**I've missed you all! Quarantines are good for one thing... getting some writing done! Here, _finally_ , is the last chapter in Demetri's saga. I hope you are all well and safe, and that you enjoy this bittersweet ending. Please drop me a review at the end to let me know what you think and how you're holding up during these tough times.**

**Disclaimer: This chapter borrows quite a bit of text from Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. She owns it all! Also one more note—now that this story is complete, I may go back and change the name... this ended up being far more than a "second meeting!"**

* * *

The clouds rolled out like a shroud as we made our final approach. Strange; the sky had been clear all morning. Now I could taste the electricity quickening in the air as if the danger were taking form. But I cared nothing for omens now. Every distraction faded to silence as my focus sharpened. Nothing mattered save the commands of my Masters... not even my own anger.

The trees thinned, giving way to an open, snowy field. The Cullens and their allies—So many!—stood in a sloppy, broken line in the center of the field. My eyes were immediately drawn to the enormous russet-red werewolf standing guard beside the newborn Bella and the monster-child that was clung to her back. So it was true! Not only had someone done the unthinkable in creating the child, but the most unnatural of alliances had been forged.

For several moments, an uneasy silence hung in the charged air between us and our targets. I forced my eyes away from the werewolf and took stock of the crowd that had assembled in rebellion.

Carlisle and Edward stood directly in front of Bella and the child. Beside them were Rosalie and Emmett, as well as Tanya, Kate, and... _Eleazar_. The traitor! He should be the first to die.

Close to Bella were four vampires who were strangers to me, but for the moment I could only stare past them to a vampire who stood on the outer fringes of the assembly. _Amun._ My creator stared back into my eyes, and for a brief moment, it felt as though the past nine hundred years were only a dream... a mist, for it seemed nothing had changed for the man I had once called Father. His sad, accusing gaze pierced my pride just as it had on the day I had left him. Kebi stood silently at his side, as she had always done. She had not been sorry to see me go, but she clearly held me in contempt for my betrayal nonetheless. I had hurt her mate, and that could never be forgiven. I ignored her icy glare, suddenly wishing I could speak to Amun in private. I tried to convey my silent warning from where I stood, pleading with my eyes and the smallest nod off toward the woods. _You are not safe here. Flee while you still can!_

"Open," Caius murmured. The Reserves remembered their orders and fanned outward, stretching the line of our advance wider and thinner until we more than matched the breadth of the assembled rebels, revealing darker and darker cloaks with each step. I tore my eyes away from Amun and followed the prescribed steps to move into position. Only Jane and Alec stood between me and Aro now. An unusual anxiety prickled at the back of my neck as I thought of the Wives' vulnerable position behind us.

"The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming," chanted a particularly scruffy-looking American vampire who stood with the Denali sisters. Another convert? An insolent fool, whoever he was. The belligerent reference to his country's own rebellious history was clear in meaning.

Off to the far right, another movement caught my eyes. Stefan and Vladimir, looking as recklessly insane as ever. They whispered together in characteristic conspiracy, looking straight through us to the Coven. To the _Wives_.

Our advance was nearly complete—or so the rebels must have thought. Their golden eyes widened in dismay when the snow churned behind us again and our witnesses began to make their way into the clearing. Out of the corner of my eye I could see their timid, slipshod approach—hardly an inspiration, but enough to sap the overconfidence of those who thought they could challenge us. I was gladdened by their presence. They had every right to witness the violent justice we had brought here today.

Edward still stood unmoved in the center of the rebels, speaking urgently to Carlisle in hushed tones. Tanya, the Denali's leader, drew closer to them to listen. Their whispered council was too quiet to be heard. The wolf's huge, thudding heart was the only sound in the clearing... no. I opened my senses, fully alert, and heard the echoing thuds of other hearts, all larger than life, coming from the woods. More wolves? How many?!

The trees along the far end of the clearing shivered to reveal another _sixteen_ werewolves, creeping out onto the field to join their brother. But they did not go to him—they fanned themselves out along the line of vampires, flanking their unlikely allies in a formation that bespoke intelligence and self-control, despite their bared teeth. A boiling rage threatened to overwhelm my control when I saw this new evidence of the Cullens' defiance. Not only had Carlisle summoned his friends to stand with him against us; he had somehow forced these brutes under his control, as well. Another army, standing ready at his command!

Caius choked out a furious command to halt. Everyone, even the wolves, stood as if frozen. The air thrummed with the amassed energy, the collective tension, and then Edward's newborn mate inched forward with murder in her blood-red eyes. No more the timid, sleepy, stumbling human, Bella looked ready to tear all of us to pieces by herself. A feral growl rumbled deep in her chest, bubbling up into a smile that promised violence. She may well have attacked alone if Edward hadn't had a grip on her hand. The strange vampires near her echoed her snarling rebellion.

Answering growls and hissed threats rippled along the loosely-formed flanks of our witnesses again. I grew more confident that they would choose to fight, if fight we did. Only Charles and Makenna were looking more uncomfortable by the second, and Irina. She was realizing too late that her sisters might die today... thanks to her.

The silence stretched on, punctuated occasionally by impatient growls. Aro stood immobile, grasping hands in council with Caius and Marcus. I took the opportunity to reach out and touch the minds of those vampires who were strangers to me. If any should escape, I would be able to find them.

Carlisle finally advanced alone. He spread his arms, holding his hands open in feigned innocence. "Aro, my old friend. It's been centuries."

Aro did not respond immediately. Marcus's hand moved ever so slightly to touch Aro's hand again. After another moment's pause, Aro advanced as well.

"Peace," he commanded gently, stopping us with a raised hand when we moved to follow him. I ached to leap forward as he moved closer and closer to the Cullens. At least Renata stayed with him, keeping her fingers in constant contact with the back of his robes. But that would not save him from a psychic attack—who knew what talents Carlisle's witnesses might possess? I dropped into a crouch, ready to spring forward to his defense at any second.

"Fair words, Carlisle," Aro said. "They seem out of place, considering the army you've assembled to kill me, and to kill my dear ones."

Carlisle stretched one hand forward. "You have but to touch my hand to know that was never my intent."

"But how can your intent possibly matter, dear Carlisle, in the face of what you have done?"

"I have not committed the crime you are here to punish me for."

"The step aside," Aro said, "and let us punish those responsible. Truly, Carlisle, nothing would please me more than to preserve your life today."

Carlisle shook his head, thrusting his hand forward again. "No one has broken the law, Aro. Let me explain."

Caius could no longer contain himself in the face of Carlisle's lies. He advanced to stand at Aro's side. "So many pointless rules," he spat. "So many unnecessary laws you create for yourself, Carlisle. How is it possible that you defend the breaking of one that truly matters?"

"The law is not broken. If you would listen—"

"We see the child, Carlisle. Do not treat us as fools."

"She is _not_ an immortal," Carlisle protested, looking increasingly desperate. "She is not a vampire. I can easily prove this with just a few moments—"

"If she is not one of the forbidden," Caius said, "then why have you massed a battalion to protect her?"

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have brought." Carlisle said, gesturing back toward his allies. "Any one of these friends can tell you the truth about the child. Or you could just look at her, Caius. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

Not immortal? What new pack of lies was this? I studied the child perched on Bella's back again. Her cheeks were rosy with the cold as a human child's would be, and her eyes were an odd color—both easily falsified with human cosmetics.

"Artifice!" Caius snapped. "Where is the informer? Let her come forward!" He jerked his head around, scanning our numbers for find Irina, who was hiding behind the Wives. "You! Come!"

Irina stood frozen, too fearful to obey. Santiago finally shoved her forward. Caius met her halfway, seething in anger, and struck her across the face. He pointed at the immortal child, earning a warning growl from the red-brown wolf. "This is the child you saw?" Caius demanded. "The one that was obviously more than human? Well?"

"I..." Irina stammered. "I'm not sure."

Caius's hand twitched as though he would hit her again. "What do you mean?"

"She's not the same," Irina said, "but I think it's the same child. What I mean is, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw, but —"

Caius hissed his anger, frightening Irina into silence again. Aro laid a hand on Caius's shoulder in caution. "Be composed, brother," he said. "We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty. Now, sweetling, show me what you're trying to say." He held his hand out to Irina. Reluctantly, she reached out and surrendered her thoughts. Aro looked suddenly troubled for an instant, but almost immediately regained his composure.

"You see, Caius?" he said with a smile. "It's a simple matter to get what we need." He turned to the rest of us with a meaningful glance. "And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems. It would appear the child has grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of an immortal child. Curious."

What? I studied the child again. No one with any sense could mistake her for a human... but _growth_?

Carlisle seemed to suddenly relax. "That's exactly what I'm trying to explain." He held out his hand to Aro a third time.

"I would rather have the explanation from someone more central to the story, my friend," Aro said. "Am I wrong to assume that this breach was not of your making?"

"There was no breach," Carlisle insisted again.

"Be that as it may," Aro said, "I will have every facet of the truth. And the best way to get that is to have the evidence directly from your talented son. As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward was involved."

Edward turned to kiss Bella and the child, the very picture of domestic humanity. He stepped forward, clapping Carlisle on the shoulder as he passed by him. Behind him, Bella and Esme whimpered in terror as they watched Edward leave the safety of his assembly. But suddenly, a moment later, a strange laugh burst from Bella's lips. Had she gone mad already, like the others?

Aro stepped forward eagerly, grasping Edward's hand the moment it was in reach. Edward stared at him in open defiance briefly, then closed his eyes. They both tensed, overwhelmed by the onslaught of information. Edward's memory must be _flooded_ with not only the events surrounding the child's creation, but also the thoughts of all his allies since their gathering—invaluable evidence. Anger burned through me again as I thought of young Edward's disdain for my Master's generous offer. To think he had turned his back on the rare opportunity to serve among the elite, only to waste his talent and his life like this!

Alec and Jane stirred beside me, holding themselves ready.

"You see?" Edward said.

Aro slowly raised his head, still holding Edward's hand. "Yes, I see, indeed. I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly. You have given me much to ponder, young friend. Much more than I expected. May I meet her? I never dreamed of the existence of such a thing in all my centuries. What an addition to our histories!"

"What is this, Aro?" Caius demanded.

"Something you've never dreamed of, my practical friend. Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies. Peace, brother."

I nearly stepped back in my shock. Was it possible that Aro would acquit them of all their crimes—that we had come here for nothing? I glanced down our line and saw the same disbelief on many faces, and a dangerous impatience building in the ranks of our witnesses. It would not be wise to let them down. _Master_ , I thought in alarm, as if he could hear me. _Do not delay! Give the command!_

Aro and Edward agreed to meet in the middle. I nearly wept in relief when he called me forward to accompany him along with Renata and Felix. I flashed to his side and felt the reassuring warmth of Renata's shield envelop me.

"Bella," Edward called to his mate. "Bring Renesmee... and a few friends."

The wolf advanced along with Bella and the child. Next came the largest yellow-eye, Emmett. His eager grin reminded me strikingly of Felix. My skin crawled as the wolf drew near... too near.

"Interesting company you keep, Edward," I muttered.

Felix chuckled. "Hello again, Bella."

"Hey, Felix."

"You look good. Immortality suits you."

"Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. It's too bad..."

"Yes, too bad, isn't it?" Bella's smile grew deadly again.

 _She really is something, Edward,_ I thought pointedly. _And you have thrown her life away like this. For what?_ He ignored me again, keeping his eyes trained on Aro. Only the muscles in his neck tensed in reaction.

And then I heard it. As Bella drew closer, a single heartbeat separated itself from the pounding chorus of the wolves' hearts. This one was small, rapid in its pulse...

It couldn't be.

But it was. The child in Bella's arms had a beating heart. A trick? Some device playing a recording? But I could see the telltale quiver in her jacket with each _thump-thump_. And her eyes... they were certainly brown. They weren't contact lenses.

 _What is this? Is she human or not?_ I demanded of Edward, who ignored me yet again. Up close, the child's skin did appear to be somewhat different. A stray snowflake fluttered down, landed on her pale cheek, and... _melted_.

"I hear her strange heart," murmured Aro. "I smell her strange scent. In truth, young Bella, immortality does become you most extraordinarily. It is as if you were designed for this life." He indicated the jewel at her throat. "You liked my gift?"

"It's beautiful," Bella said, "and very, very generous of you. Thank you. I probably should have sent a note."

Aro finally laughed. "It's just a little something I had lying around. I thought it might complement your new face, and so it does."

I heard a hiss of jealous rage behind me: Jane.

"May I greet your daughter, lovely Bella?" Aro asked.

Bella hesitated, then closed the distance between them. I could feel an alien heat radiating from the creature she clutched in her arms.

"But she's exquisite," Aro said to Bella. "So like you and Edward. Hello, Renesmee."

The child looked at Bella and then back to Aro. "Hello, Aro," she said in a thin, high voice.

"What is it?" Caius hissed.

"Half mortal," Aro announced, "half immortal. Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human."

"Impossible!" Caius said. I heard the word echo through our ranks, through the witnesses. A... hybrid? _Conceived?_

"Do you think they've fooled me, then, brother?" Aro said in amusement. "Is the heartbeat you hear a trickery as well? Calmly and carefully, brother. I know well how you love your justice, but there is no justice in acting against this unique little one for her parentage. And so much to learn! I know you don't have my enthusiasm for collecting histories, but be tolerant with me, brother, as I add a chapter that stuns me with its improbability. We came expecting only justice and the sadness of false friends, but look what we have gained instead! A new, bright knowledge of ourselves, our possibilities."

He held out his hand to the creature Renesmee, but she reached up to touch his face. I trembled with the danger, holding myself ready.

"Brilliant," Aro whispered when he heard her thoughts. What had he heard? Was she as civil as she appeared?

"Please?" the girl asked in her tiny voice.

Aro smiled indulgently. "Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee." He stood taller and looked past Edward to the wolves that stood sentinel around the Cullens' allies. "I wonder..."

"It doesn't work that way," Edward scoffed. "They don't belong to us, Aro. They don't follow our commands that way.

"Just an errant thought..." Aro mused. "You well know how that is. We none of us can entirely control our subconscious desires."

"Here we go..." Felix said in the slightest whisper.

I shifted impatiently as Aro's interrogation suddenly devolved into a flight of fancy about werewolves. As much as the thought pained me, I hated it when he did this. My Master was curious if he was anything, and imaginative in his genius... but there was a time and place for that. The witnesses on both sides of the field were growing impatient, confused. This was supposed to be a grave proceeding. In times like these, I wished my Master would... well, of course he knew what he was about. I merely wanted our witnesses to leave the field today with the utmost respect for our justice—regardless of whatever balance of mercy and punishment we meted out in the end. I did not want stories spread about the Volturi _stalling_.

Aro finally signaled for the others to join us. I couldn't resist a lofty smirk as Edward and his strange friends practically stumbled backwards away from the advancing Guard.

Caius's quick steps rustled in the snow as he stormed forward. He was seething now... reckless. If Aro's whimsical tangents were frustrating, Caius's anger was frightening in its capriciousness. Especially when werewolves were involved.

"How can you abide this _infamy_?" he demanded of Aro. "Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?" I winced at his tirade. Why did he not keep silent and touch Aro's hand?! Not for the first time, I wished Marcus would come out of his stupor and _lead_.

"Because it's all true," Aro said. "Every word of it. See how many witnesses stand ready to give evidence that they have seen this miraculous child grow and mature in just the short time they've known her. That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in her veins."

"The werewolves," Caius blurted out after a moment's hesitation.

"Ah, brother..." Aro warned, silently pleading with him to give it up.

"Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?" Caius demanded. "The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation—no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle."

Edward cleared his throat, daring to look amused. "Caius... it's the middle of the day." He gestured to the reddish monster who stood mere inches away from his so-called family. "These are not Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world."

 _So what?_ I shouted at Edward in my mind while the conversation degraded yet again into minutia. _You think that excuses your blatant disregard for law and tradition? An enemy is an enemy!_ But even I was forced to see, finally, how different these creatures were from the werewolves I had hunted with Caius before. Their appearance was similar to normal werewolves—not identical, I realized on closer examination—but it was their intelligent behavior that really made the difference. The werewolves I had encountered lost their sentience the moment they phased. True, there was some feral sense of command structure and some instinctual communication, but nothing like this. The reddish wolf and all its fellows stood patient, listening, obedient... no. _Loyal_. The word tasted strange in my mind. Was everything I knew to be turned on its head today?

"I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts," Aro was saying to Caius.

"They know our secret," Caius said. Finally—an accusation that no one could explain away. A sentient werewolf was one who could remember and betray anything he had seen while in either form.

Aro shook his head. "They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother. Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are; they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere."

 _Why?!_ Why did Aro insist on defending them at every point? Why did he quarrel openly with Caius in front of the accused—in front of the vampire public! _Stop_ , I pleaded silently. _Let Caius have his crime! Let their mob have their thrill!_

"I want to talk to the informant," Caius blurted out, seemingly having forgotten that he had already done so. "Irina!" he shouted when she did not respond. She trudged again to the front of our formation, looking more upset than ever.

"So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations," Caius began. Those of us in the Guard perked up, ready again for orders. The trial had suddenly taken on a new meaning. Bearing false witness was a serious crime.

"I'm sorry," Irina whispered. "I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea..." She gestured helplessly toward the Cullens. Toward the child.

"Dear Caius, could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible?" Aro said. "Any of us would have made the same assumption."

"We all know you made a mistake," Caius said to Irina, practically spitting out the words. "I meant to speak of your motivations."

"My... motivations?" Irina said.

"Yes, for coming to spy on them in the first place. You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?"

"I was," Irina admitted. She turned to face Carlisle and the others, looking more pitiful by the moment.

"Because...?" Caius said.

"Because the werewolves killed my friend," Irina whispered. "And the Cullens wouldn't stand aside to let me avenge him."

"The shape-shifters," Aro corrected.

"So," Caius said with satisfaction, "the Cullens sided with the shape-shifters against our own kind—against the friend of a friend, even."

Edward scoffed, and he wasn't the only one.

"That's all they can come up with?" Ahmed whispered to one of his nomad friends. A near-silent buzz of similar reactions rippled through our witnesses. Some idiot even dared to _laugh_ , though he choked it back at the last second. I burned with anger at their insolence. At my own embarrassment.

"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters," Caius went on, "and the Cullens for supporting their actions, now would be the time." He smirked in triumph.

"No," Irina said. Her fear seemed to suddenly drop away. She lifted her chin, stood taller. "I have no complaint against the wolves or the Cullens. You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here. I'm so sorry," she called out to her yellow-eyed coven... to her family.

Caius's hand drifted toward his pocket. No...

"There was no crime," Irina insisted. There's no valid reason for you to continue here—"

She was dead less than a second later.

.

.

.

In the moments following the execution, time slowed... for all of us. The purple smoke bloomed and uncurled and boiled upward, releasing a burnt perversion of Irina's scent into the cold air like a drug. I inhaled the scent reflexively in my shock, my profound sadness. Of all those who I had thought deserved to die today... This was wrong. Not only had Irina made every effort to honor the law—her mistake had already been pardoned by Aro. Even her betrayal of her coven was more than understandable, if the werewolves' victim had been her mate. But she had even made that right, in the end. She had shown more courage and fortitude than I had seen in a very, very long time.

 _Say it was wrong_ , I pleaded silently to Aro. _This was Caius, nothing but Caius's petty, childish cruelty. Do not let this stand!_

But for the briefest moment, Aro and Caius's eyes met. For all their quarreling in front of the wrong people today, they were now in complete agreement. Had this been their plan all along, if the trial should fail? Provoke the rebels into attacking?

If it was a plan, it had certainly worked. Tanya and Kate sprang forward with agonizing cries of fury. Caius watched their attack with a deadly, angelic smile that reminded me disturbingly of Jane.

But Edward's gift saved them. He leapt to block them in the very same instant they began to move. Carlisle helped him tackle Tanya. Rosalie plowed into Kate, but she collapsed an instant later in electric pain. Emmett tried, too, only to crumple to the ground alongside his mate. One of the nomads—the cheeky one who had mocked us as Redcoats—tackled Kate next, and he was somehow able to hold on despite the pain. The delay was enough; the Cullens had another surprise in store for us.

"Zafrina!" Edward cried out.

Tanya and Kate both stilled suddenly. "Give me back my sight!" Tanya screamed. Garrett's eyes opened in relief even though he still held Kate in the vise of his arms.

"Alec?" I said in surprise, turning to the boy beside me. But he shook his head, perplexed.

"It's the tall one," Jane hissed. I scanned the Cullen's allies and saw the sudden, intense focus on the face of the tall, dark woman who stood behind Bella.

"Zafrina," Aro breathed. "She puts you to shame, Alec... what a gift! And see, brother, how Bella's gift has grown! Marvelous!"

Kate's psychic attack was being blocked by some power—there was no doubt. The vampire who held her was clearly not in pain anymore despite her obvious effort. Had Bella's shield truly become this powerful?

Tanya and Kate finally regained their composure enough to stop their attack. They both fell to pieces, weeping in the arms of the friends that held them.

"Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child," Aro announced. "Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand." He and Renata began to move forward again, and we followed. "Just to be thorough, I'd like to speak to a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know." He waved his hand dismissively and zipped over to stand just a few feet from Amun and Kebi. I burned with inexplicable shame as I drew near to my creator. Years seemed to fall away with each step.

_Father._

He stared at me, completely ignoring Aro at first. Amun was a passionate man, prone to violent rages and equally known for his tender displays. For the briefest of moments, I thought he was about to stride through the snow and embrace me... or strike me. Perhaps both.

"Ah, Amun, my southern neighbor," Aro said kindly. "It has been _so_ long since you visited me."

"Time means little," Amun murmured back. "I never notice its passing."

"So true," Aro agreed. "But maybe you had another reason to stay away?"

Amun held his tongue.

"It can be terribly time-consuming to organize newcomers into a coven. I know that well! I'm grateful I have others to deal with the tedium. I'm glad your new additions have fit in so well. I would have loved to have been introduced. I'm sure you were meaning to come to see me soon."

"Of course," Amun ground out, staring straight ahead at nothing.

Newcomers? I followed Kebi's gaze back toward the Cullens, but it was the boy kneeling on the ground behind Bella who was watching us with fearful interest. His hands were buried deep in the snow. Him? And the female edging closer to touch his shoulder? Amun had _replaced_ me?! The hot pain of jealousy sliced into my heart.

"Oh well." Aro laughed right in Amun's face. "We're all together now! Isn't it lovely! But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately. Carlisle called on you to witness?"

"Yes."

"And what did you witness for him?

"I've observed the child in question," Amun said slowly, carefully. "It was evident almost immediately that she was not an immortal child—"

"Perhaps we should define our terminology, "Aro interrupted, turning to share a meaningful look with Caius, "now that there seem to be new classifications. By immortal child, you mean of course a human child who had been bitten and thus transformed into a vampire."

"Yes, that's what I meant," Amun answered.

"What else did you observe about the child?"

"The same thing you surely saw in Edward's mind. That the child is his biologically. That she grows. That she learns."

"Yes, yes," Aro said impatiently. "But specifically in your few weeks here, what did you see?"

 _Be careful, Father_ , I thought, trying to catch his eye again.

Amun hesitated. "That she grows... quickly."

Aro smiled. "And do you believe that she should be allowed to live?"

Instantly, a buzz of angry protest rippled through the crowd... on both sides of the field. Amun glanced around, looking increasingly uncomfortable. Was there any right answer to Aro's question here? I moved to stretch my hand out to my creator, nearly forgetting that he had no way to read my thoughts.

"I... did not come to make judgments," he said carefully.

"Just your opinion," Aro urged.

Amun hesitated again, then stood up straighter... just as Irina had. "I see no danger in the child," he said. "She learns even more swiftly than she grows."

I tensed to spring, watching Caius out the corner of my eye. If he moved to execute Amun now, I would stop him. And I would die for it. But several of us let out a silent sigh of relief when Aro turned away, scanning the line of witnesses for the next question.

"Aro?" Amun called.

"Yes, friend?" Aro answered eagerly, spinning back around.

"I gave my witness. I have no more business here. My mate and I would like to take our leave now."

Aro nodded his permission. "Of course. I'm so glad we were able to chat for a bit. And I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

Amun bowed his head—almost in time to hide the belligerent grimace I knew so well. He looked at me one last time.

"Father," I whispered. "I wish..."

What did I wish?

He looked past me to the boy kneeling in the snow, and then he was gone. He had taken his mate and disappeared into the trees without acknowledging either of his... sons. I wondered, in a flash of pity, what the boy must think of his creator's escape. An act of cowardice, if ever there was one. And futility. Running from the Volturi was a meaningless exercise when they had me to... No. Not Amun. _I won't._ The decision burned bright in my mind.

"Hello, dear Siobhan," Aro said this time. "You are as lovely as ever."

Siobhan inclined her head respectfully. She showed no fear.

"And you," Aro asked her. "Would you answer my questions the same way Amun has?"

"I would," she said. "But I would perhaps add a little more. Renesmee understands the limitations. She's no danger to humans—she blends in better than we do. She poses no threat of exposure."

"Can you think of none?" Aro asked sadly.

Edward's sudden growl tore through the quiet. The nomad who had stopped Kate moved closer a step. There was a fire burning in his eyes this time.

"I don't think I follow you," Siobhan said, slowly.

Aro backed away from her a little. "There is no broken law," he began. "No broken law. However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No. That is a separate issue."

The girl standing next to Siobhan—a vampire I'd not yet become acquainted with—shook her head, staring up at Aro with disgust written all over her face. Over to my far right, Charles was doing the same thing. He bent to whisper something in Makenna's ear.

"How ironic it is that as the humans advance, as their faith in science grows and controls their world, the more free we are from discovery," Aro said. He was still pacing, slowly weaving his way deeper back into the safety of our formation. Renata trailed him with each step. "Yet, as we become ever more uninhibited by their disbelief in the supernatural, they become strong enough in their technologies that, if they wished, they could actually pose a threat to us, even destroy some of us.

"For thousands and thousands of years, our secrecy has been more a matter of convenience, of ease, than of actual safety. This last raw, angry century has given birth to weapons of such power that they endanger even immortals. Now our status as mere myth in truth protects us from these weak creatures we hunt.

"This amazing child"—he pointed to Renesmee—"if we could but know her potential—know with _absolute certainty_ that she could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what she will become! Her own parents are plagued by fears of her future. We _cannot_ know what she will grow to be." He slowly turned and looked, pleading, reluctant, to the two crowds of witnesses. I suddenly noticed that the Cullens and their allies had been slowly drawing into a tighter, uniform group, while our own line of witnesses had loosened and spread. No... some of them were bunched together, studying the proceedings with looks of confusion and distrust, leaning toward one another here and there to speak under their breath.

"Only the known is safe," Aro concluded. "Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is... a vulnerability."

 _Lies_ , a voice shouted in my mind. It was so clear, for a moment I was sure that someone here had a gift of speaking into others' minds. But no one was even looking at me. The lie spoke for itself. Aro _loved_ the unknown, even the unsafe. He lived and breathed discoveries like this. What ploy was this? I heard Charles's urgent whisper buzzing off to my right again.

"You're reaching, Aro," Carlisle called out.

"Peace, friend," Aro soothed, holding his hands up in defense. "Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side."

"May I offer a side to be considered?" Kate's nomad friend stepped forward.

"Nomad," Aro said, nodding.

"That's Garrett," Makenna said in answer to someone's question.

"I came here at Carlisle's request, as the others, to witness," Garrett began. "That is certainly no longer necessary, with regard to the child. We all see what she is.

"I stayed to witness something else," he went on, turning on us and pointing rudely. Or perhaps he meant the witnesses. "You. Two of you I know—Makenna, Charles—and I can see that many of you others are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now.

"These ancient ones did not come here for justice as they told you. We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose—to destroy this family here." He swung his arm around, pointing to Carlisle, Tanya, all the yellow-eyes.

"The Volturi come to erase what they perceive as the competition. Perhaps, like me, you look at this clan's golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, it's true. But the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice. They see _power_."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Charles nodding.

Garrett wasn't finished. "I have witnessed the bonds within this family—I say _family_ and not _coven_. These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures. But in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, that mere gratification of desire? I've made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding—that which makes them possible at all—is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. And Aro knows this better than I do.

"Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight. These witnesses agreed to give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case.

"But some of us wondered"—he looked pointedly at Eleazar—"if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice. Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or protect their own power? Did they come to destroy an illegal creation or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice?

"We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro's lying words—we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain—and we see it now in Caius's eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters' quest for domination."

My chest was heaving now as I listened. Was it anger? I wasn't sure anymore.

"So now there are more questions," Garrett went on. "Questions that _you_ must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do you answer to someone's will besides your own? Are you free to choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live?

"I came to witness. I stay to fight! The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will. So come, I say!" he added in challenge, turning to face Aro and Caius again. "Let's hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom! You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here."

He strode down the line, fast approaching our group of witnesses. "You might consider joining us," he said, earning the shocked silence of his listeners. "If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell _this_ tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed... but then again, maybe not. Perhaps we are on more equal footing than they know. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though. If we fall, so do you." He punctuated his fiery speech with a bold retreat, turning his back on us. He swaggered back to his place and sank into battle readiness beside Kate.

Aro slowly stepped forward, brushing his fingers against Marcus's hand. "A very pretty speech, my revolutionary friend."

Garrett cocked his head. "Revolutionary? Who am I revolting against, might I ask? Are you my king? Do you wish me to call you _master_ , too, like your sycophantic guard?"

"Peace, Garrett," Aro said. "I meant only to refer to your time of birth. Still a patriot, I see."

Garrett held his peace, staring back in stony, resolute silence. The defiant look was mirrored on nearly every face in the crowd facing us. Something flipped upside down inside me as I saw not only the stubborn, dangerous defense the yellow-eyes had drawn together to rally around the child; I saw a movement. This improbable gathering may have been summoned for the child's protection, but now Garrett's words represented their purpose truly: they now rallied around a cause for freedom, for open fairness. Inconceivable as it was, _we_ were the ones on trial now.

"Let us ask our witnesses," Aro called out. "Let us hear their thoughts before we make our decision. Tell us, friends"—he turned in a broad circle to include us all—"what do you think of all this? I can assure you the child is not what we feared. Do we take the risk and let the child live? Do we put our world in jeopardy to preserve their family intact? Or does earnest Garrett have the right of it?" He smiled in tolerant amusement. "Will you join them in a fight against our sudden quest for dominion?"

Confusion and silence, again. If they were a family, as Aro himself had said, and no crime had been committed, why was the trial suddenly back on course? Was he now appealing to the mob as a jury, offering his weakness as proof of his intentions? A way out? Or were he and Caius rooting out dissension, as Garrett was convinced? Marking those who dared speak as traitors, slated for discreet elimination another day? How many would I be hunting down after this, doling out the penalty for honest courage? Or were we preparing for battle on the slim remains of our accusations: the judgment that a crime _might someday_ be committed by a person who had shown every reason for her ability to resist such an action? Just so we could root it out all at once?

The scene and the words swirled in my mind, leaving me grasping for an anchor. Not Aro, certainly not Caius, not the faithless Amun, not the mysterious pull I felt toward Garrett's words.

"Are those our only choices?" a voice burst out.

"Of course not, charming Makenna," Aro said, looking shocked. "You may go in peace, of course, as Amun did, even if you disagree with the council's decision."

Makenna looked up at Charles. "We did not come here for a fight," she decided. "We came here to witness. And our witness is that this condemned family is innocent. Everything that Garrett claimed is the truth."

"Ah," Aro said sadly. "I'm sorry you see us in that way. But such is the nature of our work."

"It is not what I see, but what I feel," Charles blurted out, weakly at first. He took a deep breath, assuming the same resolute posture of the others that had spoken. "Garrett said they have ways of knowing lies. I, too, know when I am hearing the truth, and when I am not..." He caught himself, his last words choking back in anxiety. He shrank his tall form closer to Makenna, waiting.

"Do not fear us, friend Charles," Aro said smoothly. "No doubt the patriot truly believes what he says."

Charles could not bring himself to answer, but his expression of disgust spoke volumes, and it was matched by the girl standing at Siobhan's side: _it is another lie_.

It was! That was all Garrett's speech had been: beliefs. It was a matter of historical debate how subjective the gift of candor was, but in this case, there was no distinction to be made. And Aro had condemned himself with the very words: his own intention was to deceive. It was plain as day, as plain as Caius's increasingly desperate attempts had been, working and manipulating to make _any_ accusation stick.

My hand crept up inside my cloak and tugged nervelessly at the chain that lay across my throat. It was beginning to feel strangely tight. I felt restrained by it, like some force was holding me back from doing... something. I felt words bubbling up like a thirst inside my throat, and I did not know what they were.

"That is our witness," Makenna said, stepping backwards towards the woods and pulling Charles with her. "We're leaving now."

I felt movement directly behind me. I turned just in time to see Ahmed flee as well. All three of them were gone. Others looked rooted to the ground, torn between the woods and... the other side of the field. Caius drew in his breath sharply.

Aro rounded on us, finally addressing the Guard alone. "We are outnumbered, dearest ones," he said. "We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?"

"No, Master," we answered in perfect unison.

No, not perfect. Something was missing.

"Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?" Aro pleaded, staring at each of us with wide eyes.

"Yes," we breathed. "We are not afraid."

No. Something was wrong... it was me. I had not spoken with the others. My lips had moved, only to produce silence. And if I was not mistaken, mine was not the only voice that had failed. My hand pulled harder, downward on the velvet inside my cloak.

"Brothers," Aro said grandly, "there is much to consider here."

"Let us council," Caius agreed.

"Let us council," Marcus sighed. The Three joined hands in the familiar posture of judgment, a shrouded pyramid.

The moment their eyes closed, two more of our witness crept away into the woods.

None of the rebels had left since Amun and Kebi. Instead they were drawing together, each to their own coven or to their new friends. They spoke softly, embraced one another, realigned themselves in their readiness. But their posture was not one of attack: it was simple defense, and not the desperate hatred of criminals. Pure, sorrowful, doomed resistance.

Bella and Edward clutched the child tightly for a moment, then placed her up to sit between the huge shoulders of the red wolf. She was crying. Edward buried his face in the wolf's fur. Esme stepped forward, tenderly touching the faces of each of her children as she moved to stand at her mate's side. Garrett and Kate held their heads together, whispering. And behind the Cullens, still kneeling with one hand buried in the snow, Amun's new son bade a silent farewell to his mate.

Edward turned away from the wolf, locking his gaze on me. His expression was dispassionate, almost... apologetic. Then his jaw hardened and he nodded slightly, lowering himself for the attack. I was his first target, then. So be it.

"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," he whispered to his mate. I could read the words on his lips, plain as day.

Chelsea. Chelsea?

A storm of memories broke over me as I turned and watched Chelsea's face. She was staring down the rebels. Intense, intimate focus. I saw the same picture in my mind, a thousand years ago. She had looked at me that very same way on the day I had decided to leave Amun. When I had felt inexplicably discontented, a few times over the intervening centuries. Every time she had helped me, eased me out of my unhappiness...

Or had she been easing me _back_ _into_ something? What "bindings" did Edward mean, and what did it mean for her to break them?

Innumerable pictures filled my mind now, and Chelsea's expression filled each one. Times she had helped new Guards adjust to life in the castle. The time we had eradicated Hilda's coven and rejoiced in Heidi's sudden change of heart. Times when nomads had reported in, even when diplomats from other ruling covens had visited. When young Renata had decided to bid farewell to her creator Luca and her life of wandering with him. Again and again, Chelsea had been present. Then with a chill, I remembered the reason given once for the color of her cloak, despite the fact—in my opinion—that she was merely a drug: that she had once done an indispensable service for Marcus in the very darkest hour of his long life. I looked with new eyes at the profound weariness in my third Master's face as he passively allowed Aro to grip his hand. What _had_ she done for him all those years ago? What was she doing now?

"Carlisle? Are you all right?" Edward said suddenly, standing back up out of his crouch. Carlisle murmured something in response.

"Jane," Edward told him, then slowly turned to face Bella. Her eyes were wide with concentration again.

"Bella," Jane hissed beside me. A tiny shriek rumbled in her throat and she inched forward, sweeping her angry gaze over the crowd of rebels.

Nothing happened.

"Incredible," Edward breathed, and a smile threatened to fracture the tension in his young face. Tanya hissed something too quick to be heard.

"Normal procedure," Edward answered, loud enough for all to hear. "they usually incapacitate those on trial so they can't escape."

Bella smiled then, mocking Jane directly. There was no mistaking the intent. The Romanians were laughing in glee now.

Jane finally screamed in frustration. Alec stepped forward and tucked her under his arm, adding his focus to her own. I waited, holding my breath. But before Alec's slow-moving gift could reach the Cullens, the earth rumbled under our feet without warning. The Three broke apart abruptly when they heard a fissure crack its way through the ground at unnatural speed. In an instant it had ripped a chasm across the field, dividing us from our foes. A violent wind stirred up the snow. Through the swirling curtain of white, I could see Amun's young creation holding his arms in the air, writhing, spinning with the current of the wind... directing it.

Incredible!

The vapor of Alec's gift still ghosted across the chasm without effort toward the rebels, only to stop and diffuse like a wasted breath against an invisible window. As the wisps of shadow spread, we began to see the shape of Bella's defense outlined by the passage of the vapor. It was round and expansive, surrounding their entire company. It even stretched out to envelop the wolves.

I added my own test. I closed my eyes and tried to pinpoint where each of the rebels stood.

They were _gone_. Gone as surely as if they had ceased to exist. I opened my eyes, half expecting the field to stand empty. But there they all were, safe behind Bella's protection. Safe from Jane and Alec and... Chelsea. Safe from _me_ , at least for now.

"Well done, Bella!" the boy cried, throwing up his arms. The snow traced the same joyous path upward and away, reversing its direction in an instant. The Cullens and their allies began to chatter together with renewed energy, huddling close in their plans.

"Before we vote..." Aro began.

 _Silence!_ I thundered in my mind. _Can you not see your charade is ended?!_ _That you have laid bare our shame?_

"Let me remind you," Aro called out, holding his arms up for attention, "whatever the council's decision, there need by no violence here!"

Edward laughed in his face.

"It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate. There are many choices before you. Consider them."

 _Join or die, is that it?_ Edward had said many months ago when he was first on trial.

I heard a cracking sound. Off to my left, Chelsea's fists tightened so hard at her side with effort that her skin was beginning to split open. No, I thought with unexpected relief. It would not work this time. Whether because of Bella's shield or the unusual bonds Garrett had ascribed to the yellow-eyes, or perhaps both, no one moved to answer Aro's offer.

The boy—Benjamin, Aro had called him—looked pointedly away from Aro's hopeful gaze, up into the darkening sky. The clouds began to roll together into one massive, flashing plain above our heads.

"Let us vote, then," Aro said sadly.

Caius was first. "The child is an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it."

"I see no immediate danger," Marcus said heavily. "The child is safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace."

Would Aro accept it? A compromise, one that spared the last shreds of our pride and perhaps even our reputation... for now. It was enough. But Edward bared his teeth when Aro drew breath to speak; there would be no compromise.

"I must make the deciding vote, it seems—"

"Aro!" Edward's triumphant shout startled us all.

"Yes, Edward?" Aro said warily. "You have something further...?"

"Perhaps," Edward said quickly. "First, if I could clarify one point?"

"Certainly."

"The danger you foresee from my daughter—this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she will develop? That is the crux of the matter?"

"Yes, friend Edward," Aro agreed. "If we could but be positive... be _sure_ that, as she grows, she will be able to stay concealed from the human world—not endanger the safety of our obscurity..."

"So, if we could only know for sure," Edward said, "exactly what she will become... then there would be no need for a council at all?"

"If there was some way to be _absolutely_ sure," Aro said. "Then, yes, there would be no questions for debate."

"And we would part in peace, good friends once again?" Edward asked. The irony must have choked him.

"Of course, my young friend. Nothing would please me more."

Edward laughed. He was practically glowing now. "Then I have something more to offer."

"She is absolutely unique," Aro protested. "Her future can only be guessed at."

"Not absolutely unique," Edward said. "Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind... Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife? We are still discussing evidence."

Aro raised his hand, seemingly unaware of the damning insult Edward's revelation carried. "Peace, dear ones. Let us hear him out."

Edward turned toward the woods behind his allies, no longer trying to hide his exultant smile. "Why don't you join us, Alice?" he called out.

"Alice? Alice!" a dozen voices whispered at once. I whipped my attention away from Edward and stretched out my gift around the dead space of Bella's shield. Alice was indeed here—and she was not alone. The small woman broke through the dark wall of the forest, followed instantly by her mate. She danced over to us like she made this kind of entrance every day. He looked ready to kill.

Three more vampires followed them into the clearing. One looked very similar to the woman Zafrina, one was a smaller woman with a long, dark braid, and the male... he was already close enough for us to hear his thrumming heartbeat.

Another hybrid!

They all made a beeline for the Cullens. Alice and Jasper greeted them in silent welcome.

"Wait," Felix whispered beside me. "They walked through the shield." The news quietly sped through our ranks in an instant. Bella was now a physical target; her death would be Caius's first order of business if Edward's new evidence failed to move Aro. I desperately wished it would. If the order to attack was given now, I honestly did not know how I would respond... which way I would run. I felt a peculiar longing to be as anonymous, as small as any of the nomads scattered on the edges of the scene.

"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks," Edward announced. "And she has not come back empty-handed. Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?"

"The time for witnesses is past! Cast your vote, Aro!"

Aro silenced Caius with a raised hand, entranced with the new arrivals.

Alice marched right up to the Three. "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel."

"Speak, Huilen," Aro said. "Give us the witness you were brought to bear."

The stranger hesitated for a moment, then found her voice. "I am Huilen," she said with an unfamiliar accent. "A century and a half ago, I lived with my people, the Mapuche. My sister was Pire. Our parents named her after the snow on the mountains because of her fair skin. And she was very beautiful—too beautiful. She came to me one day in secret and told me of an angel that found her in the woods, that visited her by night. I warned her." Huilen shook her head sadly. "As if the bruises on her skin were not warning enough. I knew it was the Libishomen of our legends, but she would not listen. She was bewitched.

"She told me when she was sure her dark angel's child was growing inside her. I didn't try to discourage her plan to run away—I knew even our father and mother would agree that the child must be destroyed, Pire with it. I went with her into the deepest parts of the forest. She searched for her demon angel but found nothing. I cared for her, hunted for her when her strength failed. She ate the animals raw, drinking their blood. I needed no more confirmation of what she carried in her womb. I hoped to save her life before I killed the monster.

"But she loved the child inside her. She called him Nahual, after the jungle cat, when he grew strong and broke her bones—and loved him still.

"I could not save her. The child ripped his way free of her, and she died quickly, begging all the while that I would care for her Nahuel. Her dying wish—and I agreed. He bit me, though, when I tried to lift him from her body. I crawled away into the jungle to die. I didn't get far—the pain was too much. But he found me. The newborn child struggled through the underbrush to my side and waited for me. When the pain ended, he was curled against my side, sleeping.

"I cared for him until he was able to hunt for himself. We hunted the villages around our forest, staying to ourselves. We have never come so far from home, but Nahuel wished to see the child here."

"Nahuel," Aro said gravely. He studied the youth for a moment. "You are one hundred and fifty years old?"

"Give or take a decade," the hybrid answered. "We don't keep track."

"And you reached maturity at what age?"

"About seven years after my birth, more or less, I was full grown."

"You have not changed since birth?"

"Not that I've noticed."

Aro leaned closer. "And your diet?"

"Mostly blood, but some human food. I survive on either."

"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro pointed to Huilen.

"Yes, but none of the rest can."

Shock rippled though the assembly yet again. "The rest?" Aro asked, his eyes wide.

"My sisters."

"Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more."

"My father came looking for me a few years after my mother's death." Nahuel's eyes grew dark. "He was pleased to find me. He had two daughters, but no sons. He expected me to join him, as my sisters had.

"He was surprised when I was not alone. My sisters are not venomous, but whether that's due to gender or a random chance... who knows? I already had my family with Huilen, and I was not interested in making a change. I see him from time to time. I have a new sister; she reached maturity about ten years back."

"Your father's name?" Caius asked through gritted teeth.

"Joham," Nahuel answered. "He considers himself a scientist. He thinks he's creating a new super-race." From the disgust in his tone, it was clear Nahuel wished to be free of association with Joham.

Caius turned back to the Cullens. "Your daughter, is she venomous?" he demanded. Bella said no. Caius waited for Aro's pronouncement, but quickly grew impatient.

"We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south," he insisted.

Aro deliberated a moment further, staring over at Bella and Edward and their curious child. "Brother," he finally said. "There appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

Relief flooded through my being. At last.

"Is that your vote?" Caius demanded.

"It is."

"And this Joham?! This immortal so fond of experimentation?"

"Perhaps we _should_ speak with him," Aro agreed. His mind was already churning with new possibilities; I could see it. Joham was not the only immortal who was fond of experimentation.

Aro turned to us, smiling peaceably. "Dear ones. We do not fight today."

Caius spun on his heel, churning the snow at his feet. Without thought, the rest of us followed suit and stayed in formation as we turned to go. Many of our witnesses had already scattered.

I turned for one last look just as I stepped into the dimness of the trees. Aro had stayed behind to make one more friendly overture with the Cullens. Their strange little family made no show of believing his words, but he bade them farewell with every politeness. Edward looked past Aro's retreating form to me. His expression bore a disturbing resemblance to _pity_.

I trudged through the snow under the vast trees, woodenly following Felix's footsteps. I was still deeply troubled by the choice that was no longer before me: would I have obeyed, had my masters given the order to attack? Would I really have been able to participate in the slaughter of rebels whose only crime was being too careless as they lived their strange lives? And they had even been absolved of that.

A boisterous chorus of cheers and laughter erupted behind me, stopping me in my tracks: a cry of victory from the rebels.

Heidi was walking near me. She, too, stopped and turned toward the sound. "Listen to them," she said slowly. "They think they've won." Uncertainty passed over her beautiful face.

"They just want to live their lives," I said to her. I inhaled sharply. It felt like the cold air awoke something inside me.

"Yes," Heidi said. She looked at me. Was she thinking of her life before, with Hilda and the others? Was she remembering Chelsea's intense focus on her on the night her covenmates had been slaughtered... the night she had suddenly realized her loyalty to the Volturi? She wanted to say something... something forbidden. She didn't. We trudged on in silence a little while, letting the others pass us by.

"I killed Andrei," I said finally.

Heidi stopped walking again. "What?"

"Caius and I executed him when we were in Portugal. I didn't know it was planned until he gave the order."

"Why did he have to die?"

"I don't know."

We walked on in silence for another moment.

"Well," she said slowly, "It doesn't matter. It's not our job to know..." she trailed off and shook her head, squinting off into the distance. "They lie all the time, Demetri. We knew that. It's just part of..." her hand waved in the air, searching for the words we had all been taught.

"Don't say it," I begged her. "Don't say it's just part of their job. Of our job. I'm so _weary_ of lies today. I'm..." _I'm ashamed_ , I could not say aloud. _I'm ashamed to have a part in their deceit, their gluttony. His endless, selfish, childish gluttony!_

I shivered, intentionally searing the words into my memory. It was only a matter of time before Aro heard it all. _I am ashamed, Master_ , I shouted into the mangled confusion of my mind. _I am ashamed and I cannot remember why I ever came to serve you!_ Each word wounded me. Each traitorous thought stabbed, tore through the mantle of my identity. Who was I but Demetri of the Guard? Where was my home but Volterra? Who was there to serve but Aro?

 _Are you my king?_ _Do you wish me to call you master, too, like your sycophantic guard?_ Garrett's daring words blared in my ears. I nearly laughed when I remembered all the subtle accusations Aro and Caius had built against Carlisle when vampires like Garrett were more than happy to shout their rebellion. How many, like him, had grown weary of our rule? Did they really think their personal freedom meant more than the stability we had given them for millennia?

Right or wrong, change was in the air. No matter how many witnesses we hunted down and silenced, the story of today's spectacle would spread. Vampires around the globe would ask themselves if the Volturi were truly strong enough to rule when we had been sent packing by Carlisle's rebels. Whether Aro and Caius were really the best choices to...

_Choice._

I turned the word over in my mind. Nomads were not the only vampires whose hearts might be set alight with the allure of freedom and self-determination. Imagine having a _choice_ , I thought with sudden fury, when Aro and Caius could simply employ tools like Chelsea to make your choices for you. Most vampires might be unimportant enough to live free under their rule, but those of us with powerful gifts would always be in their sights. Had my decision to serve Aro so long ago _ever_ been my own choice?

Did I have a choice now?

"There you are, Demetri," Caius snapped when I walked up to the crowd standing around the airplanes. Not a single witness had chosen to return with us. I stared up the metal staircase leading into the nearest plane, feeling a sudden revulsion. An acidic, roiling nausea at the thought of getting on that plane.

"We have counciled," Aro told me, wearing a mask of regret. He glanced up toward Caius, then turned and moved to board with the others. Chelsea followed behind him, but she slowed to a stop with one foot still in the snow, the other on the first stair.

"Demetri, Felix. Alec. Gustav." Caius beckoned the four of us to the side. "A moment." We drew closer, but he waited to speak until Aro, Marcus, and most of the Guard had boarded. "You will follow Charles and Makenna," he said quietly, looking straight at me. "They are to be ended."

He and Felix chattered on in a smear of words, something about who would take Felix's place and fly the airplane. I couldn't be bothered to listen. The only word I could process was the question I already knew the answer to.

"Why?"

I had spoken aloud; I couldn't believe it.

"What did you say?" Caius asked. A fierce warning flickered in his eye.

"Why?" I said again, louder this time. "Why do they have to die? For speaking the truth? Or for spreading it?!"

"Demetri," Chelsea said in alarm, drifting back toward me.

I took a deep breath and met her focused gaze, feeling a familiar heaviness tug at my mind. I might only have seconds. "Or for _living_ it?" I shouted, daring to turn fully on Caius, and an instant later on Aro when he appeared again on the stair of his airplane. Heidi emerged from the other, barely moving in time for Santiago and Carlo to barrel past her toward me.

A savage laugh tore from my throat. I would be dead in moments. What did it matter? "Of course Charles will be the first to die! He is the one who can tally your lies for all the world to hear! I will not help you do it! It _galls_ you, does it not?" I called out to Aro. "That so many vampires are living out their happinesses in utter indifference to your rule? That so many powerfully talented ones have nothing but disdain for... for your..."

I shook my head to clear it. The words were already beginning to blur together. Chelsea stood inches away, staring up at me with her wide eyes. No! They would have my death, but not this!

"Chelsea, Corin," Aro said, wide-eyed. "Poor Demetri has fallen victim to a new kind of attack—one of Carlisle's witnesses. I learned of it in Edward's mind. Quickly, comfort him!" But he was only looking at Chelsea.

"Another lie," I gasped out, tugging desperately at the chain that pinned my cloak. How had my hand grown so weak? I laughed again, and finally I found the strength to tear the leash from my throat. My cloak slipped off my shoulders, fluttering down to the snow.

"No attack," I said thickly. It was growing difficult to form the words at all. "The only powers at work here are reason and..." I heaved in another breath, leaning away from Chelsea. She grabbed my arm and held me fast, surprising me with her strength. For a moment's span, I was lost in the depths of her eyes. They held genuine care, the most intimate of pity, the astounding promise of... of peace, a life of purpose...

"NO!" I tore my arm away from her, only vaguely feeling the crumble of bones in my elbow when I wrenched away. I spun in a circle, looking drunkenly around for help. For death. Felix, Gustav, Carlo... they all just stood there. Why didn't they do it! Better to die than to live with the shame of betraying... no! Not betray, to... Better to die than for them to take... take possession... of what? I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to think any longer. The pull was so very strong now, a vast darkness pulling me downwards into brightest clarity. Aro shone with beneficence once again, with the martyred sorrow of one deeply wronged. I was falling, falling before Chelsea's relentless tide. I could see it so clearly now, far too late—too late I saw that I could have killed her, had I acted seconds ago. Now I could only muster one final, futile plea to the only one who could help me now. "Bella," I called out hoarsely. "Bella!"

It was done. Even as I lurched back toward the clearing, Felix and Gustav leapt over and took hold of my arms. I collapsed, held upright only by their hands when they dragged me back before Aro and Caius. Time slowed, smeared into one single picture: all eyes looking down at me from the windows of the plane, from the metal stairs, standing high above me amid the spinning treetops... They all faded, giving way to Aro. He was everywhere. I licked my lips, squeezing my eyes shut harder in concentration. Gustav and Felix finally released me and I tumbled down onto my knees.

I slowly raised my eyes to look at Aro. What had I... I shook my head again, and the world instantly settled into place. My mind cleared completely, giving full berth to the sudden, undiluted _horror_ of what I had done. It was the most excruciating, disemboweling pain, far worse than I ever could have fathomed, when I looked up into my Master's eyes and I saw the sadness there. The _hurt_.

"My friend," he said softly. "My dear, dear friend. Is it any better yet? Are you freed?"

 _Lies!_ called a quiet voice, so quiet it was gone by the time I heard it within the darkest corners of my frayed mind.

"I..."

How I wished, how I desperately wished that it were true, that someone had poisoned me other than Aro himself! I laughed once more in my despair. My fingers dug into the snow, searching for the damp edges of my cloak... no. I would never be worthy of it again. Nor would I ever be freed, save by the final freedom.

"End it," I said, finding my voice. I looked up at Felix. "Please, if I have ever earned an ounce of real friendship—slay me, rid me of this shame! I have betrayed my Master! What can I bear but death now?!" I moved to crawl closer to Aro, but was held fast by someone's hand.

"It will take him a moment to heal," Aro said sadly, turning toward the others. "Give our friend his dignity, dear ones." Several of the faces moved away from the windows, but many did not. Heidi stood immobile on the stairs of the farther airplane, hugging herself and looking like she was about to be sick. Chelsea suddenly turned to face her.

"Peace, Demetri," Aro spoke to me, drawing near. He laid a gentle hand on my head, and that was my undoing. I could not bear his kindness! The light of his goodness blared within my brain, searing me with such pain that I cried out and bowed my head into the snow. He did not yet know all that I had thought. I reached up and dared to seize his hand, forcing all my cruelty upon him. He must not forgive!

"Peace," he said again, though I heard a new strain in his voice. "All is forgiven. It was not your doing. It has passed."

"You did not tell me of this new power," Caius said bluntly to Aro. "Who is it?"

"Later, brother," Aro said smoothly. "Let us begin our journey, and then you and I will talk. Chelsea, Felix, Carlo... please help Demetri board and find his seat."

 _No, no, it is all wrong_... I felt myself pulled up some stairs and into the thin air of the aircraft. By the time the restraining hands shoved me into my seat, my wits had returned enough for the next shock to roll over me: what damage had I done here?! Everyone in the airplane was turned, watching me in frozen shock. The Reserves... their loyalty already hung by a thread. I fiercely struck down the traitorous thought that began to form: Chelsea would secure their loyalty. It was almost a comfort. At least, at the very merciful least, none of our witnesses had seen my outburst. But even the faces of my friends looked sick, looked cast in shadow... by their own doubts? Through one of our tiny back windows, I could see into the cockpit of the other airplane. Heidi sat there, rubbing her forehead, already watching me. She looked to be in pain as well.

Who else?

Aro was right—he had to be! Someone, some hidden villain among the rebels, had stricken my mind, maybe Heidi's, maybe others. Maybe even the Cullens themselves! Maybe they had been at work all this time. For centuries.

 _Lies_. Oh, how I wished I could believe them. I did believe them. I swallowed them whole, hungrily.

I shook my head and laughed once more, ignoring Felix's sudden iron grip on my unbroken arm. Did it matter? Did it matter whether my betrayal had been of my own doing or the attack of another traitor? I had let him in with open arms. _Or her_ , I thought suddenly, remembering the child's purposeful touch to Aro's face earlier. Such talented parents—surely—

"It was the child," I cried out, struggling hard against Felix. Gustav parked himself in the window seat beside me so that I was trapped between the two of them. Chelsea huffed in weary annoyance and sat down directly in front of me. Her face instantly settled back into a look of deep concern.

"Demetri," she soothed. "All is well. Rest now—we will soon know the truth of what has been done to you. Aro will know."

I shook my head violently, began to mumble about the danger, but it sounded half insane even to my own ears. My words deteriorated into broken whispers in Greek. My throat burned like hellfire. I began to see illusions, a shimmering mist, bright blue, flowing from Chelsea's forehead to my own. The mist seeped through me and traveled out the window to where Aro stood outside. My body spasmed once under the force of my madness, warping the metal of the seats.

"Corin," Chelsea called. Corin edged closer up the aisle, looking afraid. Of _me_.

"Don't," I begged her. "Don't! I will rule myself. Or use Jane, if you must. I cannot bear the cruel silence of my shame! Please!"

But it only took a moment; my treacherous subconscious ached and screamed for peace, any peace. Corin's gentle hands held either side of my head and my breathing slowed. She bent down and kissed my hair. I ceased, very quickly, to care whether I lived or died. Only Aro's welfare mattered, and I was a _fool_ to ever have thought that I mattered anywhere in that broad purpose. It was a relief of the deepest kind, to shed my pride like a burning skin. I sank back into the soft cushions, stared down curiously at Felix's fist and the shredded skin of the arm he was holding. My arm, I supposed.

I looked back up at Chelsea. The illusion had vanished. She gazed back at me with the almost tearful love of a broken-hearted mother. Bless her, bless her forever.

"All is well," she repeated softly.

I shook my head very slowly. No, all was not well, and it would never be. But it was enough. I closed my eyes and watched, with perfect memory and perfect clarity, as the last remnant of my true self—a man I had only fully come to know today—shrank and withered and died.

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
